Susan Nyabunze Herald Reporter
The Zanu-PF National People’s Congress has brought brisk business to the hospitality industry in Harare with major hotels and lodges fully booked as thousands of delegates troop into the capital.
The party’s congress runs from the 2nd to the 7th of December.
While some members would be accommodated in schools and colleges, full house reservations have been recorded at Cresta Lodge, Cresta Jameson Hotel, Rainbow Towers and Cresta Oasis, among others.
Other hotels said they were still receiving enquiries from the delegates.
Cresta Lodge duty manager Mr Alfred Mupepereki said the party had made full house bookings at their lodge that has at least 171 rooms.
“Zanu-PF has cushioned up occupancy at our lodge and it is really a blessing to us,” he said.
Mr Mupepereki said annual trends had proved that November, December and January had low business so the congress was a blessing.
“The festive season is usually bad for business in Harare as people tend to go to resorts out of the city for holidays. Business usually starts to flourish again after March onwards,” he said.
At Rainbow Towers, an official who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity, yesterday said the congress had brought significant business to the industry.
“We also have a full house during that period and more than a hundred of our guests are Zanu-PF members. We do not have any more rooms,” she said.
Preparations for the 6th National People’s Congress were done by a co-ordinating committee, which comprised of selected members from the country’s 10 provinces. Delegates start arriving for the congress tomorrow.
Zanu-PF brings good business to companies in the provinces where it holds its national people’s conferences and congresses.
Last year there was massive road rehabilitation in Chinhoyi town, the venue of the national people’s conference, while Chinhoyi University of Technology had a major facelift.