Negril poised to be twinned with Tanzania’s Zanzibar

WESTERN BUREAU:

Councillor Michael Jackson, chairman of the Civic and Community Affairs Committee at the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC), has set in motion the local authority’s acceptance of a request to have the resort town of Negril, Westmoreland, twinned with Zanzibar in Tanzania, Africa.

The requisite resolution, which was tabled by Jackson, who is the councillor for the Whitehouse division, at last Thursday’s monthly meeting of the WMC got the required approval, which has now paved the way for the other steps in formalising the twinning.

After Jackson moved the motion for the twinning, it was seconded by Amakard Brown, the councillor for the Leamington Division. When it was put to a vote by Mayor Danree Delancy, it was unanimously passed. Zanzibar Unguja is an island in Tanzania.

“Since I announced the request, in July, from Zanzibar to twin with Negril here, I have been in dialogue with Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie, and by now all the relevant documents should be with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Delancy told the meeting.

According to a document relating to the twinning, which was seen by The Gleaner, the initiative is aimed at fostering cultural exchanges and economic development between Zanzibar, Unguja Island, Tanzania, and Negril, which shares many similarities, including a rich history and culture, beautiful beaches and landscapes, and a strong presence in the global tourist industry.

“The twinning exercise will initiate a series of collaborative projects and programmes that will promote cultural exchanges, educational opportunities, and economic development,” reads a section of the documents requesting the twinning.

Zanzibar, known as the Spice Island, is steeped in culture and history, and its shinning white-sand beaches with palms swaying lazily in the sea breeze, makes it a fabulous place to explore, dream, relax, and unwind. The island is also a haven for water sports activities, such as swimming, snorkelling, and diving with luminous fish, or just grazing over coral gardens and pods of dolphins frolic offshore.

“We may view the twining differently. The parish, city, or municipality of Negril may view this differently,” businessman Lenbert Williams told The Gleaner, while pointing to the work being done by a group of stakeholders that is now looking at how Negril can become an autonomous area.

Williams, who owns and operates the One Love Bus Tour, based in Negril, noted that he is not immediately sure how Negril and its people will benefit from such a twinning relationship at this time.

“We also believe that twinning or marrying a stranger is not something that you can just blindly do, and I believe that a fact-finding, familiarisation mission to Zanzibar may be warranted so that we can make an educated, informed decision,” he said.

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