Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart, has called on the government and the Bulawayo City Council to work together to improve the road and signage leading King Mzilikazi’s grave describing the current state of the infrastructure as unacceptable.
Speaking at the King Mzilikazi commemoratikns uMzilikazi at the City Hall, Coltart said the poor state of the road and an ageing signpost leading to the historical site demonstrated a lack of respect for the city’s heritage.
“I have to say that, and I spoke to some of the colleagues here who I met with this week. It is disgraceful when we see how little respect is paid to the grave of King Mzilikazi,” Coltart said.
“We have a signpost to the grave which was made 50 years ago. That needs to change.”
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Coltart contrasted the condition of the road leading to King Mzilikazi’s grave with the infrastructure leading to the grave of Cecil John Rhodes, arguing that the disparity needed to be addressed.
“I’m speaking as a white man that we’ve got a big white tall road to Cecil John Rhodes’ grave. And it is paid for by the government. And yet, for King Mzilikazi, there’s a dirt road and a ramshackle sign. That is unacceptable,” he said.
The Mayor said he was embarrassed by the condition of the road leading to what he described as the first capital of the nation.
“And even as we drive out on this road today for the celebration today, I’m ashamed of that road to what really was the first capital of our nation,” Coltart said.
He said responsibility for improving the road should not rest solely with the local authority, calling for cooperation between the council and Government.
“It starts with us as a council,” Coltart said, addressing councillors.
“But it is also an appeal to our government. This is one government called Zimbabweans. That this needs to change. That road needs to be improved. That sign needs to be improved.”
Coltart said improving access to the grave was also important for the development of cultural tourism in Bulawayo.
He acknowledged that access to the grave had to be managed in accordance with cultural protocols, saying large numbers of visitors could not simply be allowed onto the site without consultation with the royal family and other authorities.
“I understand that we can’t just go to the King’s grave in our thousands. There are cultural things that have to be respected,” he said.
However, once the relevant cultural authorities had been consulted, he said the site could become an important tourism asset for the city.
“That grave in my view needs to be respected and needs to be something that can help us drive the economy and expand tourism,” Coltart said.
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