Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has declared June 1 as Bulawayo Day with a five-day arts festival planned to celebrate the milestone.
Bulawayo was declared a town on June 1, 1894, by Dr Leander Starr Jameson, the Administrator for Matabeleland.
In an interview with CITE, Bulawayo Mayor, councillor Solomon Mguni said the festival is meant to celebrate the city`s arts, culture and heritage.
“The crafting of a road map to the celebration of Bulawayo day on June 1, 2020, and the Bulawayo Arts Festival on 2-5 June 2020 is work in progress. Council resolved to declare June first as Bulawayo day in recognition of Bulawayo as a town in 1894. Previously we used to celebrate it for example events such as Bulawayo 125, but now we are introducing the day as an annual festival from June 1 till the 5th,” said Mayor Mguni.
He said though the City fathers are aware of other festivals in the City, this is one of its kind as it is a City event.
“We are aware of many festivals happening in the City but this is a City event as we have to promote our artists as the City. We are building a legacy for both the city and the arts sector. A key development in destination marketing as a cultural hub of the country,” he said.
Mayor Mguni added that the festival is going to use the already existing council infrastructures and venues to promote the arts and culture.
“This will be an annual city-wide festival using the already existing council infrastructure and venues to promote arts and culture,” he said.
“Now is the time to set up structures for stakeholders, sponsors, and artists to interact under the Festival Board. Together we can work towards being the creative and cultural special economic zone of Zimbabwe.”
