Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE 2025 edition of the Bonaqua Triathlon Africa Cup has come and gone, but the lasting impression of the serene, picturesque and therapeutic ambiance of Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga as well as the unequalled hospitality of the Zimbabwean populace is an enduring imprint that will reach the United States of America, Austria, Germany, USA, Japan and Netherlands through participants who hailed from these nations.
In its 17-year history, the Bonaqua Triathlon Africa Cup always held at Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga has attracted triathletes from far and wide around the globe.
Last weekend’s 2025 edition was no exception.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Honourable Barbara Rwodzi, said she was disappointed by the glaring failure by Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and other players in the tourism industry to capitalise on the presence of tourists from different countries who participated in the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup in Nyanga last weekend.
She said this after observing that parastatals under her ministry were conspicuous by their absence, and were not part of the organising structure of the event which this year attracted close to a dozen countries and participants from almost all continents.
“Our President (Mnangagwa) came up with a plan that is aimed at making us deliver result, and it is called the Whole of Government approach. We are expected to be working together as ministries.
“I am happy that the organisers talked to me about this event. Ours as the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality is to make sure that every guest who comes for this event has somewhere to sleep, something to eat and that they are comfortable.
“I was taken aback to hear the number of countries here. I was just smitten when the last speaker announced all the countries that came here. When I am looking at this, honestly I can be fired. There is no Zimbabwe Tourism Authority here. It must be the number one sponsor and partner.
“As the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, I am declaring that from now on we are partners through Zimbabwe Tourism Authority,” said Minister Rwodzi.
Such is the power of sport in contributing to the Gross Domestic Product that Minister Rwodzi also declared the sports tourism also played a pivotal role in making the tourism industry the biggest contributor to the GDP ahead of usually lucrative mining and agriculture industries in the year 2024.
Meanwhile, Mutare-based triathlete, Mandlenkosi Mtetwa’s participation in the Bonaqua Africa Cup triathlon contest as a junior came to an end today with the 19-year-old’s forgettable last position finish in the 2025 edition of the event.
The 2025 edition of the Bonaqua Triathlon Africa Cup competition, as usual, brought together a good number of triathletes from different all over the world.
It was an unfortunate start to the competition as Mtetwa finished last in the swim, and hopes that he would cover up in the bike and race categories did not come to fruition.
Mtetwa, who is at an advanced stage of recovering from injury, now looks forward to come back to the undulating terrain of Troutbeck Resort in Nyanya as an elite participant in next year’s edition of the same event.
Callum Smith, the other Zimbabwean of the three locals who took part in the junior category, settled for fourth position.
The other Zimbabwean, Stanley Chasakara, came fifth.
Zimbabwe had no representative in the elite category of the competition.
For both the juniors and the elite races, this year’s event attracted participants from South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, Austria, Germany, USA, Japan and Netherlands.
