The Ziwa Ruins Nyanga seems like a forgotten heritage site. From the observations done from the media team of this media, heritage sites for this size in the country needs more of maintenance through incentives from other sectors of the economy. Tourism has been low to the site because of reasons which this media and the community think if addressed would allure to the locals and the outside community to frequent the site.
Nyanga has so much capacity through Ziwa ruins to impact just as much as the ruins and monuments of Khami, Mutoko, even The Great Zimbabwe. The community that have been interviewed averred that there are so many enclosures within and pity stands in an area of over 300 hectors. The ruins are under National Museum and monuments of Zimbabwe and the community believes that in this day and age through the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality there must be cooperation as the government of Zimbabwe is advocating for boosting local and indigenous tourism. This media had a chance to chat with the Nyanga Council Chair Advocate Fungai Chimwamurombe pertaining the issue of Ziwa ruins in light of promoting local tourism. The advocate stated vividly that Nyanga through his vision would be a great hub for tourism and Ziwa ruins needs everyone participation to make sure the site has more traffic.
Through His Excellence Dr. Emmerson D. Mnanganwa recent visit to the growing town of Nyanga in terms of tourism his words have been very clear that tourism must be first for the local people so that they familiarize and then later on be able to market what they already know and appreciate. His Excellence visit to Nyanga made a call for the domestic tourism to be glorified and implores locals to frequent the places of attractions to witness the beauty that is bestowed on us, Zimbabweans.His recent visit, His Excellence Dr. Emmerson D. Mnangagwa toured various attractions within the District such as Nyanga Worlds View, Nyanga trouts farms and Rhodes Museums.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage in collaboration with The Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality, both can make the sites including the Ziwa ruins and monuments frequented places without doubt. There are renowned stories of importance at these sites for instance at Ziwa ruins it is alleged that the first settlers were the bushmen from the north of Zimbabwe who travelled to find fertile lands and also escaping tribal wars. These people later left going back to the north due to vertical challenges which impedes them from seeing higher places when hunting and gathering, that was due to over populated mountains. The Ziwa site is situated in mountainous area and these bushmen faced challenges in locating animals in their proximity due to height, it is alleged that mountains and tall grass were barricades to their endeavours.
There is need for more collaborations to put back the site on map, after the bushmen, through archaeological and ethnological gatherings, the site was later occupied by the Unyama`s whom today are called Saunyama`s of the totem, “Shato/Mheta/Svowa” a reptile, python in English. A lot of the gatherings from the site are believed to be from these people, In Nyanga they possess a lot of area due to their influence as Chiefs dating back in the days.
Ziwa ruins houses some of the alluring attractions such as rock paintings, ruins, pity stands and so on.
