The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry has refuted claims that First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is profiting from the sale of the Zimbabwe National Fabric.
In a statement, Minister Barbara Rwodzi dismissed the allegations as “false and malicious”.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry wishes to remind all concerned that it is the sole custodian of the Zimbabwe National Fabric and is responsible for distributing the fabric through its Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Provincial offices at a gazetted nominal fee of USD 4 per metre,” Rwodzi said.
She added, “We take exception to false and malicious claims by some media outlets that the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is cashing in on the national fabric.
“Such claims are not only unfortunate, but appear calculated to soil the good image of our hard working mother of the nation who is our patron.”
The Ministry noted that the National Fabric was previously sold between USD 9 and USD 12 before they intervened to have the price reduced to USD 4.
“The Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry encourages the nation to continue taking pride in our identity, our culture and our Heritage through our National Fabric,” Rwodzi said.
However, reports suggest that the national fabric is being sold at the First Lady’s offices, with Zanu-PF and ZTA acting as principal retailers.
The cloth is reportedly fetching USD 4 a metre at the ZTA offices in Harare, while an average cloth sells for USD 1.50 in retail shops.
Farai Marapira, Zanu-PF director of information, claimed that the national fabric is selling very well, with high demand and orders being filled through the ZTA and the party’s commercial arm, House of Cheneso.
He added that the national dress is not a partisan symbol, but a representation of national identity, available to all Zimbabweans, not just Zanu-PF members.
“There has been a very serious uptake of the national dress. We are seeing a lot of excitement in things to do with our nation. We are inundated with people who are looking for that dress since it’s the topic at hand.
“The House of Cheneso does orders with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and within a week, it will be sold out. That is how serious the uptake of the national dress is.
“This is not a partisan dress. It is a dress for everyone. It’s about our national identity. It is not for Zanu-PF people but for every Zimbabwean.
“What we only do as Zanu-PF is we just take orders through our commercial House of Cheneso so that it is easier for our party members to access it. It’s just us as Zanu-PF supporting a national initiative,” he said.
