THE wish by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Engineer Walter Mzembi for Zimbabwe to host the 2034 World Cup is perhaps not a dream, but the realisation of an attainable goal by one visionary.
Many have castigated the minister for being ‘a dreamer’.
This is the man who many thought would never deliver on the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, but his co-hosting strategy saw Zimbabwe winning the bid to co-host together with Zambia against Russia, Qatar, Turkey and Jordan who had also been in the race.
When in October 2007 FIFA announced that it will discontinue its continental rotation policy, Minister Mzembi had the right to dream Zimbabwe can win the bid in 2034.
The new selection policy is that any country may bid for a World Cup, provided that their continental confederation has not hosted the past two World Cups.
As we speak of the 2026 World Cup, Asia and Europe are not allowed to bid.
Minister Mzembi disclosed to The Patriot earlier this week that FIFA President Sepp Blatter hinted that Africa has a chance to host the 2034 World Cup.
According to the Minister, there is ample time for the country and its people to prepare the infrastructure to host such an event.
“He (Blatter) said technically according to their FIFA rotational calendar, the most likely date that Africa can host the World Cup again would be 2034,” Mzembi said.
“In terms of the technical bid, we are not yet there.
“What we have sponsored is an idea, a vision for Zimbabweans to interrogate and in the process hoping that we can secure their buy-in before we mainstream the results we get from this national conversation.”
Minister Mzembi added that chairing the preparations committee helped him gain the necessary experience to pursue the World Cup dream.
“There are two elements to hosting mega events of such a nature,” he said.
“There is the technical aspect which is the kicking of the ball, the competition itself and the second is the brand issue.
“This is why when we lost out on the first one in 2010 Cabinet directed me to chair the World Cup 2010 inter-ministerial preparations committee with Minister David Coltart then as my deputy because we had lost out on competitive play and we were now focused on the brand objectives of hosting a World Cup even though indirectly in southern Africa but directly by South Africa.
“And it was on the back of that mandate that I was then able to work together with the committee and my team to lobby for familiarisation and practice matches by the teams that were going to play in the World Cup and we landed two teams Brazil which eventually came and played at the National Sports Stadium and South Korea which shied out at the last minute as a result of a lot of political muscling by certain sections of our population.
“So building on that experience that I acquired during my tenure as chairperson and the network that I have since developed and my brand responsibilities under the ministry of tourism and hospitality industry, we are making the case to the public in the first instance then to FIFA eventually and the rest of the world based on our brilliant testimonial of hosting the UNWTO.
“World cups are not hosted by countries already 100 percent ready with the infrastructure; they are based on the promise and guarantees that infrastructure will be ready by the time the hosting happens which is why South Africa announced a decade before 2010 that it would be ready and they built the infrastructure which were subject to inspection during periods leading to the World Cup.
“If any Zimbabwean thinks we will be in the same economic hole we are in now, then they have no reason for remaining in the country.”
The country is currently riding on the back of successfully hosting many major conferences among them the Africa Routes Summit, the UNWTO general Assembly and the Harare International Carnival.
With the hospitality Zimbabweans have, our vast natural resources, vast investment opportunities, a resilient and hardworking people and good climate, who are we not to take advantage of this and share it with the rest of the world.
The region has also been supportive and is currently working on a uni-visa regime which will see international tourists travelling from one end of the continent to the other without any hustles.
Contrary to the long hours of travel in this year’s World Cup, a participation model Minister Mzembi is currently working with countries in the region ensures there are no tiring flights to stadiums for the opening and closing matches.
Perhaps the doubting Thomases shouldn’t quickly brush off Mzembi’s dream of hosting the World Cup.