The usually serene picturesque Mutoko reverberates into life as soccer lovers wound their way into the bushy area.
It was a chilly Saturday afternoon and the English FA cup final match between football giants Manchester United and Manchester City was about to start
Scores of soccer lovers and merrymakers converged at Ruchera Resort Centre, about five kilometres West of Mutoko Centre.
The hub has become the most sought after leisure centre for the Budyas and other entertainment lovers from surrounding cities.
The luxurious place has become the talk of town due to its various entertainment facilities ranging from swimming to boat cruising, bonfires and neat cottages among others.
"This is home away from home. The place is peaceful and I will not mind coming back again," said John Mapinduzi, a Mozambican national who had stopped over to refresh while on the way to Nyamapanda border post.
The resort centre that sits on an 8ha piece of land is already open to the public though construction is still underway.
Currently, a state-of-the-art conference centre is already complete and will be accommodating at least 450 people.
- Ruchera Resort changes face of Mutoko
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The conference centre has different compartments to match the number of attendees.
On the Northern side, an artificial dam is being built with the purpose of boat cruising facilities.
Near the dam lies a music arena that is also under construction.
The arena boasts of five bars inside and a state-of-the-art stage.
The arena accommodates more than 4000 music lovers.
"I was triggered to establish this resort centre after realising that Mutoko is lagging behind in leisure activities," said renowned Mutoko businessman Clemence Mweleya, who is the owner of the place.
"We will be done with construction by end of this year though we have since opened other facilities to the public.
"Upon completion , this resort centre will be one of the best in this province. The conference centre will be open this week while some of the guest houses that accommodate 45 people will be open by July 15."
By December, Ruchera Resort Centre will be having accomodation for more than 100 people.
"I need more land so that I introduce safari and game drive. That is my wish. The local authority gave me some piece of land where I will be constructing a dam for recreation purposes.
"I am not here for competition, but I am just a player in the tourism industry. We are changing the face of Mutoko in as far as tourism is concerned," he said.
The other centre of attraction at Ruchera Resort Centre is the majestic swimming pool that will likely attract merrymakers especially in summer given the intense heat associated with Mutoko.
Moreover, professional swimmers can also capitalise on the availability of the infrastructure for competitions.
Mashonaland East provincial minister Applonia Munzverengi recently toured the resort centre and expressed gratitude to indigenous bussinesspeople for leading in boosting tourism in small towns.
According to the owner, the construction of the resort centre has employed scores of people especially the youth in the construction phase.
"We are creating employment for the locals. Upon completion, about 140 people will be employed permanently here," he said.
