Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Micheal Kaingu, says his ministry is committed to the promotion of tourism through traditional ceremonies.
Mr Kaingu alos said his ministry has embarked on the promotion of tourism so that traditional ceremonies in all the provinces attract tourists.
“Without traditional ceremonies, our provinces are dead and that is why my ministry has set up a programme from January to December to promote traditional ceremonies throughout the country,” Kaingu said.
Mr Kaingu said this in Mazabuka during the Kuomboka fund raising dinner which was held at the Mazabuka Golf Club over the weekend.
And speaking at the same function, Kuomboka Fundraising Chairman General, Vincent Kamuti, appealed to the public to contribute generously as the Kuomboka Ceremony was an expensive venture to conduct.
Mr Kamuti observed that more than 300 paddlers are involved in the ceremony and need adequate training and preparations, hence the need for more resources.
He praised the government for its commitment to the development and promotion of traditional ceremonies.
During the same fund raising dinner, Zambia Sugar PLC donated one tonne of sugar, Bhagoos Group of Companies donated K5 million, while Mazabuka Central Member of Parliament, Garry Nkombo, gave away US 200 Dollars with Mr Kaingu donating K1 million to the district Kuomboka Committee.
This is not new, Several ministers have talked about this in the past. Actually at almost every tradition ceremony.
Tourist are not interested is seeing poor people dancing, these traditional ceremonies just highlights the poverty that is in zambia coz they bring to light those urgly grass tharched houses that are not fit for human habitation, that is why these minister only go there on the actual day coz they do not what to sleep where these people who dance for them sleep.
why sould we have those houses in the 21`s cent.
Build new towns along side these villeges and then tell the tourists to come and see where we have come from and where we are now, this will attract them.
This is a joke. I’ve tried over and over to get dates, contacts,and locations for various tribal ceremonies. Its like it is a State secret or something. I could say more, but then it would sound like a rant.
Suggestion- get the Chiefs together in one room and appoint a someone to organise this information for the public/tourists. There are a many websites that would do the rest.
Guys why shud we wait for Zambia to have fancy buildings before we promote tourism?
Come on let talk about possibilities and not impossible stuff.Haven’t we seen documentaries about PERU and the like?
Is that in Africa.
I thought promoting tourism is also another way of improving a country’ economy.
Can’t we see what Kenya is doing…
Our Traditional ceremonies are not known outside Zed.Our National Parks are sleeping 18 to 19 0f them can feed the whole Zambia without calling for investors to run them
But in addition to what Nalisa Lubasi David said, it is a way of maintaining and reviving tradition. Bring tourists to ceremonies, big and small. Let the communities regain their pride and traditions, and inject cash locally to communities that need it. The tourists may come and go, but their money will stay behind where it is needed.
Excuse me! Are Zambians tourists anyway? Imagine hosting a foreign guest and you tell that person to eat your food yet, you, the host dont want to get close to the smell of that food!
Brthr Lubasi, u quoted jb out of context. To the point-the minister is over simplistic. Kuomboka and other traditional ceremonies are supposed to funded by the gov if they deem them ipmortant to tourism. Besides there so many things that the gov should do encourage tourists. Tourist are mainly coming from countries where sweating blood to earn bread is the norm. They want to come there to relax and not again be stressed by poverty. Sport is another tourist magnet, parks (not game parks) and leisure centres. In short tourism must accommodate a family setup. Cos, so what after seing the vic falls and lions. Cos of such ignorant ministers tourism in zambia is chaotic.
The govt is good at talking about the things they never fulfil.People in the villages are suffering but you people in power do not even know what poverty is.You are good at promoting poverty not something good for the Zambians.You promise many things when you are campainging but when you are in power you care only for your families and forget about all the promises you were making.
We want Development in Zambia.
Are you happy to see tourist to come and see the poor huts of the Lozi????????? Where is the money from the tourist going develop houses in Zambia.It is painful to see grass thatched houses when you are out of Zambia.