SAA strike leaves hundreds stranded at Victoria Falls Airport

A strike by South African Airways cabin crew has left hundreds of passengers stranded at Victoria Falls International Airport.

The passengers who were booked for the Tuesday flight could not travel and were booked at a local hotel while some have been transferred to a British Airways flight this afternoon.

More passengers are still stranded as the flight failed to accommodate all the passengers.

Source: SAA strike leaves hundreds stranded at Victoria Falls Airport (27/04/17)

Tourist arrivals to reach 2,2 million by year end

TOURIST arrivals in Zimbabwe are estimated to reach over 2,2 million by the close of 2017, a development in line with global trends projecting tourism to be the fastest growing economic sector internationally, an executive has said.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI 

In emailed responses to NewsDay, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive, Karikoga Kaseke, said the local tourism industry was expected to continue growing despite numerous challenges besetting it.

“The tourism industry in Zimbabwe is expected to continue growing in line with global trends, which project that tourism will continue to be the fastest growing economic sector internationally. Arrivals in Zimbabwe are estimated to reach over 2,2 million by the close of 2017 and over 2,5 million by 2020, assuming the current conditions will continue to obtain,” he said.

"However, it should be noted that history has shown that the tourism sector tends to be affected negatively by the election year. As such, it is our hope that prospects for 2018 will remain positive despite it being an election year.”

Zmbabwe will hold general elections next year.

Kaseke said although the tourism sector has faced a number of challenges in recent years, the sector has been resilient.

For instance, in 2016, the country received 2 167 686 tourist arrivals, 5% up from 2 056 588 received in 2015, he said.

He said the sector also generated an estimated $819 million in revenue in 2016 and is estimated to contribute 10,9% to the gross domestic product.

Kaseke lamented that numerous police check points and roadblocks have for a long time tarnished the country’s image, as they project a negative security situation.

“These roadblocks have also resulted in highly prejudicing and inconveniencing the tourists. These have also been raised under Ease of Doing Business reform initiatives in tourism,” he said.

Kaseke said Zimbabwe was largely a driving destination and, as such, good roads were necessary. Apart from the Plumtree-Mutare Highway, Kaseke said other roads — particularly Beitbridge-Harare — need to be rebuilt.

"Because of the bad state of this road, Zimbabwe lost a huge market of self-drive tourists from South Africa who are now preferring Botswana and Namibia. The high levels of carnage on our roads now termed “death traps” inhibit travel by both domestic and international tourists,” he said.

Source: Tourist arrivals to reach 2,2 million by year end (18/04/17)

Vic Falls hotels occupancy rate up

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

The occupancy rate for most major hotels in Victoria Falls is about 80 percent during this Easter holiday compared to 70 percent last year.

The Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) however said occupancy by local visitors had fallen to 15 percent from 22 percent last year.

The fall in local visitors has been attributed to macro-economic challenges that include access to cash.

The Government, through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has been pushing for the “Know Your Zimbabwe” campaign, which seeks to promote domestic tourism.

HAZ and Employers Association for Tourism and Safari Operators (EATSO) said they hoped more local travellers will visit the resort town taking advantage of the new look Victoria Falls International Airport.

HAZ Victoria Falls chapter chairman Mr Chris Svovah said:

“The occupancy rate for most major hotels has gone up from 70 percent in 2016 to 80 percent this year for the Easter period. This is a result of new look airport, which has seen more airlines flying directly to Victoria Falls.

“This trajectory should continue and we expect Kenya Airways from Nairobi and Airlink from Cape Town, South Africa to join other airlines that are flying directly to Victoria Falls,” said Mr Svovah.

He said another reason for renewed interest in visiting Victoria Falls was the re-launched KAZA Univisa, which facilitates entry to tourists from 65 countries using a single facility.

Mr Svovah however said the challenge was to promote domestic tourism which he said has traditionally been the backbone of the tourism sector.

He urged tourism players to come up with attractive promotional packages to attract locals to visit resort areas through the ‘Know Your Zimbabwe” campaign.

EATSO president Mr Clement Mukwasi said the introduction of an evening flight by fastjet would attract more locals into Victoria Falls.

“We are confident the introduction of evening flights from Harare will be a game changer because that’s something that domestic tourists have always been crying for. The new evening flight will come in handy for visitors from Harare who constitute the majority of domestic fly-in tourists to Victoria Falls while those from Bulawayo drive because distance is shorter,” he said.

Mr Mukwasi said the majority of domestic tourists this Easter are Zimbabweans with relatives based in the Diaspora and also church people coming for conferences.

He called upon public transporters to embrace plastic money to enable locals to travel.

Source: Vic Falls hotels occupancy rate up (17/4/17)

Massive corruption unearthed at National Parks

There is suspected high level corruption at the national parks allegedly committed by some board officials names supplied amid calls by stakeholders for a probe to be instituted to further expose those who are involved.

A source close to the goings on said the corrupt activities involves a Mrs Mupamhanga  a depute chair of the board  the wife of Justin Mupamhanga a senior Government official in the President Robert Mugabe's office.

He said also the Chair of the Conservation committee  Cephas Mudenda  who is allegedly part of the racket is related to the speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda and is former National Parks employee.

"National Parks has not yet paid workers salaries for the past four months while ranger field allowances has not yet been paid for the past 5 years," said the close source.

"When the board was ushered in the office workers were very happy thinking that things will change for the better but alas it is changing to the worse. The new Board have leased 19 lodges at Zambezi camp in Victoria falls for peanuts to George Pangeti former Parks Board Chair person. Pangeti is a front man for Mark Bosh a South African."

He said the lodges which were generating income for National Parks of about $300 000 annually are being leased by Pangeti effective 1 April 2017 for $60 000,00 per annum.

"They will not employ the current staff but will employ their own workers. They were given the lodges as they are for just $60 000, 00 per year. The front man for the Board Vice Chair is Councillor Muleya a Parks employee who is ward 19 concillor," he said. 

"Pangeti company promised to construct a school at Zambezi and the ceremony was officiated by Minister Muchinguri in September 2016 but there is nothing taking place at the construction site. Councillor Muleya misinformed the Minister and the Minister fall to the trickery of Muleya and Mrs Mupamhanga. Apart from the 19 lodges given for a song Pangeti has three other sites in the National Park and is paying peanuts. The lodges were given without going to tender and the lease period is 25 years."

He said that's corruption at its best. What is the logic of leasing  19 lodges for  $60 000,00 when the Lodges generated over $300 000,00. 

"Thats corruption. Why was it was not given through tender as per procedures," he said.

"The Board members are more of National Parks Director who go to National Parks on a daily basis for them to get allowance.  When travelling on business trip they want to fly in business class when the ranger is not getting salary. Pangeti has been given other areas in Matusadonha National Park, Mana Pools. The park is being evaded by foreigners please highlight this if you need more information will avail or send me your number for more information."

The efforts to get comment from the authorities and those concerned in the alleged corruption were fruitless.

Source: Massive corruption unearthed at National Parks (01/04/17)

More: $3 million rhino horns missing at ZimParks (15/5/17)

Parks boss still on suspension (5/1/17)

Zimbabwe national parks boss suspended in probe over missing rhino horn (29/6/16)

ZRA delegates tour Batoka Dam site

Leonard Ncube in Livingstone, Zambia

THE proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) which is expected to generate 2 400 megawatts of electricity will boost power generation at the Kariba Hydropower Station as it will help increase water levels and storage, a top Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) engineer has said.
Tendering for the $4 billion project is expected to start before the end of the year with implementation set for next year, once the feasibility study is completed.

Yesterday, ZRA officials led delegates, mostly potential investors who attended the BGHES investors’ conference in Livingstone on Thursday, on a tour of the dam site.

The site of the dam wall has been pegged on either side of the river while the two power stations will be about 700 metres downstream.

Briefing delegates, ZRA engineers, led by the chief executive officer Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the Kariba Dam has potential to match generation levels at Cabora Bassa in Mozambique once the Batoka project is implemented.

“The Batoka power station will help boost Kariba Dam power generation as the dam will naturally increase storage downstream. The Batoka Dam will slow down water speed hence increase water levels in the Kariba Dam,” said Mr Munodawafa.

Engineers said this would boost Kariba Dam generation capacity to about 1 200MW from about 750MW.

Eng Munodawafa added: “That’s the beauty of conjecture operations. We will have a situation whereby power generation will be increased and this is how Cabora Bassa manages to have more electricity because the dam relies on Kariba Dam upstream which slows water flow and enhances higher levels and storage downstream.”

Low water levels at the Kariba Dam have over the years led to acute electricity shortage resulting in load shedding as authorities capped generation capacity at Kariba Hydropower Station at below 750MW.

Eng Munodawafa said while the BGHES will take about five years to complete, generation of power will start as soon as construction starts.

“Generation will not wait for the dam to be completed but will start as soon as water levels rise when building of the dam wall starts,” he said.

Engineers said the dam wall will be 180 metres high while the length will be 300 metres, adding that any height above 180 metres would flood upstream up to Victoria Falls by 90 metres.

A bridge will also be constructed downstream as part of the project to facilitate access by construction vehicles as well as enhance ease of travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia thereafter.
African Development Bank vice president Mr Amadou Hott and representatives from Ernst and Young were some of the notable development partners who visited the site.

Zambia Minister of Energy Mr David Mabumba said implementation of the project was critical to both countries who can export excess power while also supplying citizens who have suffered a lot due to power deficit.

Source: ZRA delegates tour Batoka Dam site (1/4/17)