Excitement in Victoria Falls as town gets first Nando’s restaurant

 Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

NANDO’S lovers in Victoria Falls will no longer have to travel for 400km to Bulawayo or cross the border to Botswana and Zambia to enjoy flame-grilled Nando’s meals as the brand opened its first branch in the resort town on Thursday.

It becomes Nando’s 14th branch in Zimbabwe. The launch came at a time Nando’s Zimbabwe is celebrating its silver jubilee in the country after opening its first branch at Avondale suburb in Harare 25 years ago.

Victoria Falls residents and tourists included, have the town’s municipality to thank for its push for city status as this played a significant role in encouraging Nando’s Zimbabwe, trading under Simbisa Brands, to open the branch.

The Nando’s opening adds to already existing Chicken Inn, Haefelis and Pizza Inn brands by the same company.

Commenting on Nando’s opening, Victoria Falls residents said they are grateful as this will save them from travelling unnecessarily in search of their preferred fast food outlet.

Tourism ambassador, Carl Joshua Ncube who was the MC at the Nando’s opening on Thursday hailed Simbisa for bringing the brand to their doorstep.

“We used to travel over 100km from Victoria Falls just to get Nando’s, crossing borders and stamping passports even. But now, it’s just a walking distance. God is good,” said a visibly excited Ncube.

A youthful Victoria Falls resident, Nkosinomusa Tshuma said: “We’re grateful for what Nando’s has done. It’s now up to us to support it the way we’ve been supporting other Nando’s branches elsewhere so that it remains in our town.”

Country manager for Nando’s Zimbabwe, Stephen Chamboko said Victoria Falls residents were the biggest beneficiaries as the branch employed locals only.

“Nando’s Zimbabwe is positive about the outlook and we felt this was the appropriate time to prepare for the future. Sometimes, you have to invest when the chips look low.

“We saw an opportunity in Victoria Falls which will soon be a city and found it appropriate to bring another Simbisa brand to Victoria Falls to provide variety,” said Chamboko.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the colourful launch on Thursday evening where scores of residents and businesspersons were entertained by imbube group Ubuntu Bomuntu before being accorded an opportunity to be the first to taste the brand’s meals.

“Nando’s is a fast-food casual dining facility for people especially between the ages of 25 and 40. The brand originated from South Africa and has spread around the world.

“We call our branches CASA and our first was in Avondale, Harare which opened in 1995. We’re looking at increasing our footprint in Zimbabwe and we’re always looking for opportunities,” added Chamboko.

Currently, 70 percent of Nando’s restaurants are in Harare while the other 30 percent is in Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Mutare which have one shop each. There are over 1 200 Nando’s restaurants worldwide. – @ncubeleon

Source: Excitement in Victoria Falls as town gets first Nando’s restaurant (9/12/20)

Zimbabwe on high alert for earthquakes

ZIMBABWE is on high alert for earthquakes caused by climate change as the country has been increasingly experiencing earth tremors, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Speaking during the 2018 Parliamentary pre-budget seminar in Victoria Falls last Friday, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said earthquakes were more pronounced in the Zambezi Valley.

"Zimbabwe is being revisited regularly by seismic disasters (earthquakes). We have had 50 seismic disasters so far since last year and we need our scientists to begin looking into these issues so that we are able to come up with policies to advise on how dams and even buildings would be constructed.

"In the past, earthquakes were not a concern but now regularly we are experiencing these in the Zambezi Valley. There is a possibility that these seismic disasters can be of high magnitude destroying infrastructure and causing deaths," she said.

Muchinguri-Kashiri said earthquakes were mostly predominant when the level of water in the Kariba Dam is low and very high.

"So we want to advise particularly on Batoka as we construct Batoka what are the measures that we take so that we don't lose lives and infrastructure like our major dams," she said.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have proposed the construction of the $4 billion Batoka Hydro-electric power plant along the Zambezi River and it is envisaged to produce 1 600 megawatts.

Muchinguri-Kashiri said in the 2017/18 weather forecast, the country expects normal to above normal rains culminating in high inflows into dams as well as high discharge of ground water with chances of flooding.

Like Zimbabwe experienced in the 2016/17 season, she said, chances of flooding were predictable in the upcoming season.

She said the country needs to strengthen its early warning systems in low-lying areas such as Tsholotsho, Malipati, Gokwe, Muzarabani, Middle Sabi and Chicuala-cuala.

"Bearing in mind this potential disastrous situation we are faced with, my ministry has seen the need to vigorously pursue an ambitious water harvesting programme to improve the lives of people at grassroots level to ensure that we don't run dry," said Muchinguri-Kashiri.

She said her Ministry strongly believes the country requires radar systems to advice on disasters.

Muchinguri-Kashiri said it was imperative for Government to adapt to climate change by setting aside funding to mitigate the adverse effects of earthquakes.

"While we appreciate the challenges that the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is experiencing, over and above even under very difficult circumstances we have successfully secured some funds and sometimes mitigated disasters," she said.

Source: Zimbabwe on high alert for earthquakes (13/11/17)