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Government should prioritise funding of the Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park project and ensure the country derives maximum benefit since a lot still needs to be done in terms of infrastructural development.

Chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines, Energy, Environment and Tourism Mr Gabbuza Joel Gabbuza told the House of Assembly yesterday that the country was lagging behind in the giant project that was set to boost the tourism industry. Mr Gabbuza, who is the member of the House of Assembly for Binga (MDC), was presenting the committee's report on the developments in Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park and the impact of gold panning on the environment in the Midlands.

The transfrontier park, is made up of Gonarezhou National Park, Kruger National Park of South Africa and Gaza National Park of Mozambique.

Mr Gabbuza said little progress had been made in the Gonarezhou National Park, as a lot of infrastructure such as roads needed to be put in place. "The Gonarezhou National Park should be prioritised in terms of funding. There is a lot of infrastructure that needs to be repaired such as roads, the aerodrome, lodges and bridges," he said.

The lawmaker said in view of the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe should capitalise on the games by putting essential infrastructure that would bolster the tourism industry. He said land must be identified for resettling the Chitsa people who were still living in the park.

Labels: great limpopo park, greater limpopo park, mozambique, transfrontier park, zimbabwe