In our series of viewpoints from African journalists, film-maker and columnist Farai Sevenzo considers the significance of Zambia's tourism minister's daredevil antics.
The minister had been driven to this amusing but drastic stunt by the fate of a young Australian woman who found her bungee rope snapped as she went down the gorge on New Year's Eve.
Of course, she was just lucky to be alive – and for that Zambians should be grateful, for who knows what might have happened to the tourist figures had the crocodiles been partial to Australian female, or had the Zimbabwean river bank dissolved into quick sand and swallowed her whole?
Of course the Kenyans I know may well say Tanzania can go ahead and pat itself on the back over a London-based report, but even with the Somalis disrupting our tourism we still have more visitors than you.
And the Kenyan incursion in search of people allegedly kidnapping their tourists has been the serious equivalent of the Zambian bungee jump.
Indeed, this is a military exercise to safeguard sovereignty – but it is the jitters spreading through the tourism spine that need to be halted.
It may be said that other nations hardly sell themselves with their style of governance – The Gambia's beaches are still full of middle-aged European ladies walking arm-in-arm with youthful Gambian men.
And does Somalia's al-Shabab care if the tourists stay away? I am told they may even have a new sales pitch – "Come to Kismayo and get stoned."
All eyes are now on the Africa Cup of Nations. Let's hope the visitors will come to Gabon – where they speak French – and Equatorial Guinea – where they speak Spanish.
What are the chances though of there being a player called Suarez on the Equatorial Guinea bench?
Enough. Time for a bungee jump.
If you would like to comment on Farai Sevenzo's column, please do so below.