Zimbabwe’s Tourism Minister Goes the Extra Mile to Repair National Image

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What started as a tense social media clash between an irritated South African traveller and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has evolved into a powerful example of government accountability. Following a viral video that exposed a disturbing roadblock incident, Zimbabwe’s Tourism Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, drove more than 300 kilometres to personally meet and make amends with the visitors, transforming a vocal critic into one of the country’s strongest supporters.

On February 9, George Van Deventer, a well-known blogger and influencer from Keurboomstrand on South Africa’s Garden Route, spoke exclusively to IOL about the ordeal. While travelling through Chipinge, Van Deventer and his group were intercepted at a police checkpoint. He initially described the interaction as deeply unsettling and uncharacteristic of the progress made under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

Africannewsagency reported that Van Deventer shared his frustrations with the 700,000 followers of the Trans Africa Self Drive Adventures and Tours Facebook page. The footage quickly gained international traction, further amplified by prominent Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who critiqued the rigid traffic enforcement as a “breakdown of common sense.”

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Reflecting on his extensive history with the country, Van Deventer noted that the “New Dispensation” had largely moved past the era of frequent police extortion that defined the previous administration

“Honestly, the last three or four years we have never been harassed or fined at these so-called checkpoints,” Van Deventer said. “Whenever they see a foreign registration or identify you as a tourist, they usually just open up the roadblock and let you through.”

However, the experience in Chipinge, roughly 300km from the capital, felt like a regression. Officers demanded that each vehicle towing a caravan display four reflective warning triangles. Despite Van Deventer carrying three, and others in the convoy having two, the police remained firm. The situation escalated when local motorists were allegedly allowed to pass without similar scrutiny, and officers reportedly refused to identify themselves.

The conflict escalated when a group member attempted to photograph the officers, a precaution advised to them at the Beitbridge border. These incidents led to threats of arrest and a total of US$120 in fines for the group.

“The right thing for the police officers to have done is just to caution us, because it is not a criminal offence,” Van Deventer said. “It is a minor road traffic offence.”

Choosing to respond calmly, Van Deventer postponed posting his video for a day, opting for a formal reporting channel rather than venting in the moment.

“You never make a video when you are angry or frustrated,” he said. “I made a very good video and asked if someone could just point me in the right direction to someone I can report this to.”

The response was nearly instantaneous. Within two hours, Minister Rwodzi reached out directly to apologise. Soon after, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe, who oversees the ZRP, also called for details.

“Later on, the Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe himself, phoned me on my number to ask all the details,” Van Deventer said. “Malinki had taken photos without them seeing, so I forwarded the pictures to Minister Kazembe and Minister Barbara, and the wheels started rolling.”

The following day, Minister Rwodzi personally drove 300km from Harare to Chimanimani to meet the group.

“She herself drove all the way from Harare to Chimanimani,” he said. “She drove all the way from Harare to Chimanimani, with no blue lights, no bodyguards, just her driver,” he said. That is what impressed me the most”

The meeting was described as a sincere effort to uphold the country’s reputation. Van Deventer emphasised that while this incident was a setback, it did not represent the majority of his experiences with Zimbabwean law enforcement.

“This is definitely not the current situation in Zimbabwe,” he stated. “The police as a whole, in all our experiences, are good people.”

He noted that such friction, if left unaddressed, could stifle the vital economic contributions tourists make to local communities.

“That person will likely describe their experience as very negative, stating that they will never return to Zimbabwe,” Van Deventer said. “Every ear that listens to them, they will say, ‘ Do not go to Zimbabwe.’ Wherever we go, we sow seeds of growth with our money that we spend, from the little vegetable stall on the road or the campsite where we stay, the restaurant we eat in or the fuel we put in.”

He concluded with high praise for Minister Rwodzi’s hands-on leadership and a glowing endorsement of Zimbabwe as a travel destination.

“Minister Barbara, she is doing an exceptional job boosting tourism for Zimbabwe,” he said. “Zimbabwe is this unbelievable gem in the tourism crown of SADC,”

“My message to people is, pack your bags and come to Zimbabwe,” he said. “Zimbabwe has so much beauty, from Matopos to the Great Zimbabwe ruins, Gonarezhou, Chimanimani, Nyanga, the Eastern Highlands, Vumba, the Victoria Falls, Mana Pools, and Hwange National Park,” he said. “I can go on and on about all these unbelievably beautiful places.”

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) And Answers

1. Who is George Van Deventer? 

He is a South African travel blogger and influencer who runs the popular Trans Africa Self Drive Adventures and Tours Facebook page.

2. Why did the Zimbabwe Republic Police fine the travel group? 

The group was fined US$30 per person for failing to have the required number of reflective warning triangles (four) for vehicles towing caravans.

3. How did the Zimbabwean government respond to the viral complaint? 

Both the Tourism Minister (Barbara Rwodzi) and the Home Affairs Minister (Kazembe Kazembe) personally called the influencer. Minister Rwodzi then drove 300km to meet the group in person to apologise and resolve the issue.

4. What is the significance of Minister Rwodzi’s background? 

Before becoming the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, she served at the Pan-African Parliament. She is known for her proactive approach to repairing Zimbabwe’s tourism reputation.

5. What was the outcome of the encounter? 

The influencer retracted his criticism, praised the Minister’s leadership, and issued a strong recommendation for others to visit Zimbabwe’s various tourist attractions.