FORMER Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa (Independent) has turned his focus to tourism and hospitality business after failing to retain his parliamentary seat during the August 23 and 24 harmonised elections.
Mliswa, an energetic politician who left an inedible mark in the past Parliaments with his robust debates, said he had decided to expend his energy on running his Spring Resort and Wellness Centre, about 10 kilometres from the small mining town of Karoi.
In the harmonised elections held four months ago, Mliswa lost the Norton seat to Richard Tsvangirai of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Last month, Mliswa unveiled the tourism and hospitality facility in the presence of government officials, the police and hospitality players.
“I am opening another chapter in my life. I still have the energy to focus on the tourism and hospitality business after quitting politics,” Mliswa said.
The facility has a 10-bed-roomed lodge and a thatched restaurant. There are additional chalets along the waterfront a fitness and wellness centre and a wedding venue.
The wellness centre is equipped with a state-of-the-art gym. Mliswa, who is also a gym instructor, urged corporates and other organisations to take advantage of the facility to “experience my personal touch”.
“Remember I was a fitness trainer for Zimbabwe Rugby and the Zimbabwe national football team,” he boasted.
Abigail Stephen, the general manager of Spring Resort and Wellness Centre, said the project runs on solar, adding that it would serve as a stopover for tourists and people travelling to Binga, Kariba and Mana Pools.
The facility would cater for travellers to and from Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, said Stephen.
“The restaurant boasts both western and traditional menus, worked on by great chefs who have the client at heart,” she said.
Stephen said the Karoi project fully supported the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority’s ZimBhoo initiative which sought to promote local tourism and its facilities.
“Zimbabwe is rich and has awesome places worth visiting, Spring Resort included,” she said.