BY Fidelity Mhlanga
There was an early summer treat last weekend at Birchenough Bridge after an organised beach party awakened the usually sleepy growth point in Manicaland province.
Revellers around the area and passersby were treated to a number of activities, including games such as volleyball and five-a-side soccer on the banks of Save River just below the bridge.
Beach Party Trust director of public relations Tichaona Musavengana said the aim of the event was to put Birchenough Bridge on the entertainment map as a tourist attraction centre.
“We have had parties at Lake Chivero, Mukuvisi and other places in Harare, but we have better places down here that Zimbabwe can derive fun from,” Musavengana told Standard Style.
“We need to market Birchenough Bridge both in Zimbabwe and outside the borders for growth and development.
“Birchenough Bridge is an economic hub that boasts of a prestigious architectural display.”
Musaengana said the event pulled over 2 000 merrymakers from as far as Masvingo and Chiredzi. He said the other aspect was edutainment, where they aimed to use the event to tackle issues affecting the community such as child marriages and drug abuse.
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“Basically, this event is geared towards bringing life to the people of Birchenough,” he said.
“I want to bring entertainment and education to the community. As we interact, we create social cohesion and oneness in our people.
“We also provide a platform to speak against drug abuse, child marriages and abuse.So, this is the beginning of many such activities to be rolled out to the Chipinge community.”
It was an ideal early summer treat as disc jockeys belted out music.
Birchenough Bridge is the name for both a bridge across the Save River and a village and growth point next to the bridge. The bridge, which is located 62km from Chipinge town, was named after Sir Henry Birchenough.
