Govt set up Special Economic Zones in Victoria Falls

GOVERNMENT is in the process of setting up special economic zones (Sezs) in Victoria Falls with discussions with potential investors ongoing, businessdigest has learnt.

By Kudzai Kuwaza

Tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira said on Tuesday that her ministry is in the process of setting up the Victoria Falls Special Economic Zone.

Sezs are designated geographical regions that operate under special economic regulations different from other areas in the same country.

“We have started the process of getting the necessary legal requirements through the ministry of Local Government and the Victoria Falls Municipality,” Mupfumira said. “There are memorandum of understanding being done. We have also started the process of identifying possible investors. There has been such enthusiasm in as far as investing in Victoria Falls is concerned.”

Mupfumira said the major obstacle to getting investment in the resort town was the lack of a plan to help the process of investment.

She said that by March 15, the ministry will have a brochure to market the Victoria Falls special economic zone which she said will soon be launched. She said the Victoria Falls special economic zone will not be confined just to the resort town but to the whole area including Hwange and Mlibizi.

She said there are investors interested in building a marina in Mlibizi with properly developed beaches.

Mupfumira said she was in negotiations with various stakeholders in her sector to introduce special affordable packages for locals to visit tourist attractions and promote domestic tourism.

“One of the issues which has been a deterrent (to domestic tourism) has been the cost of entrance fees, the cost of hotels and the cost of accommodation. We have engaged our partners to see what we can do,” Mupfumira said. “As government we are seriously going to review entrance fees into all National Parks so that people living in those areas will go to enjoy the benefits of our God given resources.”

Mupfumira on Tuesday left the country with a delegation comprising of The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and other tourism industry players on her second international re-engagement series tour across major tourism source markets; South Africa, United Kingdom and Germany.

Source: Govt set up Special Economic Zones in Victoria Falls (2/3/18)

Vic Falls Carnival thieves nabbed

TWO Harare men who stole cellphones from revellers during last year’s iFlix Victoria Falls Carnival, have each been sentenced to 21 months in jail.

Tatenda Katemanyengo, George Makuvire and Takudzwa Mawire also of Harare who is at large, were found in possession of an IPhone and two Samsung smart phones stolen during the carnival.
Mawire who defaulted after the trio was granted bail in January, has since been issued with a warrant of arrest. Katemanyengo and Makuvire will, however, serve an effective 17 months in jail after four months of their sentence was suspended on condition of good behaviour.

They were also ordered to pay $50 compensation for the property they damaged at the Victoria Falls lodge where they were booked.

The phones were discovered in a torn mattress in their room at the lodge.

Katemanyengo and Makuvire pleaded not guilty to theft of the cellphones and malicious damage to property before Ms Lindiwe Maphosa.

They were, however, convicted of theft and malicious damage to property due to overwhelming evidence against them.

Source: Vic Falls Carnival thieves nabbed (01/03/18)

SA investors fight to elbow out local partner

 TWO South Africans who entered into a partnership with a local businessman to open an upmarket restaurant in Victoria Falls are reportedly fighting to elbow him out of the business after successfully establishing themselves.

Messrs Martin Peters and Ilan Wiesenbacher hold 40 percent each of the investment and gave Mr John Mpofu 20 percent. The joint venture gave birth to Three Monkeys Restaurant last year in January. The trio are joint directors of the on-demand upmarket eatery whose clientele is predominately international tourists.

One year after opening the facility, Messrs Peters and Wiesenbacher, who seem to have used Mr Mpofu as a front to start the business, are reportedly fighting to elbow him out.

Chronicle Business is reliably informed that Mr Mpofu was offered $25 000 buy-out, which he refused to accept, after which he was reportedly clandestinely removed from the business’ back accounts. The restaurant is operating near the Victoria Falls train station on premises leased to Mr Mpofu by the council where he used to operate a small cafeteria.

Contacted for comment, Mr Mpofu confirmed the developments but refused to comment saying he had since approached his lawyers to handle the issue.

“I only saw an email notification that I am no longer part of the company,” he said before requesting not to speak about the issue.

Messrs Peters and Wiesenbacher each hung up their mobile phones after this reporter introduced herself.

A subsidiary of Three Monkeys, Little Monkeys, was opened in the Central Business District recently and was supposed to be directed by Mr Mpofu according to an initial agreement, Business Chronicle gathered.

A source close to the goings-on said: “After seeing that Three Monkeys business is booming, the two directors offered Mr Mpofu $25 000 to buy him out of the company but he refused. They went on to remove him from the directorship and business’ joint bank account without his consent.”

Messrs Peters and Wiesenbacher were a few months ago dragged to court by employees who alleged they were being harassed at work. The case is still pending.

Source: SA investors fight to elbow out local partner (28/02/2018)

Vic Falls to anchor proposed tourism hub

President Mnangagwa has directed Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira to lead the process in setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for tourism, a project that will see Hwange, Victoria Falls and Kariba transform into a hub of tourism on the entire continent.

Addressing tourism industry players from various countries at the end of Meetings Africa – a gathering that showcases Africa’s diverse offering of tourism services and products – here yesterday, Minister Mupfumira said her ministry had already placed “expression of interest adverts” in local media and online platforms.

She said the entire Hwange-Victoria Falls-Kariba belt would be turned into a “virtual city”, with world class artificial beaches, hotels and conference centres, among a host of other business opportunities.

Minister Mupfumira said the SEZ will have a bias towards conventional, medical and sporting tourism.
“The Special Economic Zone will come with benefits in the areas of taxation and special concessions,” she said. “We invite investors to take advantage of this opportunity while it still lasts. It’s a first-come-first-served or winner takes all.”

Making presentations during the event that was hosted by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and saw tour operators and other industry players from various countries engaging the minister during a question-and-answer session, Minister Mupfumira said President Mnangagwa “did not mince his words” when briefing her on his expectations from the tourism sector.

“He has clearly said economics and trade cooperation would be his priority in Zimbabwe, rather than politics in order to catch up with the region.

“He has also stated that Zimbabwe was been lagging behind in many areas as a result of isolation for the past 18 years. Now we are saying to the world: ‘Zimbabwe is now open for business’.

“And to do so, he said there is need ‘to look at all the legislation that has been constraining business coming into Zimbabwe to improve the ease of doing business’.

“I, therefore, assumed this task willingly, given the political will to change the way things were being done and the enthusiasm and excitement that we were getting from all major source markets following the new political dispensation that saw Zimbabwe celebrate a peaceful transition.”

Minister Mupfumira hailed South Africa for being with Zimbabwe through thick and thin, saying Government had acted in addressing issues affecting tourism cooperation between the two countries.

She emphasised that such issues were “of our own making”.

“When I met my tourism team for a briefing, it became very clear that as a nation we have been anchored by rivals from this great nation, South Africa,” she said.

“Despite the fact that we have not been performing very well since 2006 due to factors that were of our own doing, South Africa still remains as the key source market for Zim- babwe.

The reception was attending by various dignitaries, who included Deputy Ambassador to South Africa Ms Metani Chauke, Consular-General Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro and ZTA CEO Dr Karikoga Kaseke.

Source: Vic Falls to anchor proposed tourism hub (01/03/18)

Victoria Falls town to be transformed

TRANSFORMATION of Victoria Falls to a modern tourist resort has started taking shape with the company formed to drive the process now seeking technical expertise to craft a tourism investment and development plan.

Victoria Falls is one of the three areas Government has already earmarked as  Special Economic Zones.

The resort is Zimbabwe’s most eminent tourist attraction area.

Already, Government has spent $150 million towards modernizing and extending the destination’s international airport in anticipation of a tourism boom.

As such, the company is expected to play a pivotal role in the development of Victoria Falls into a special economic zone among other mandates.

Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company has since made a request for expressions of interest with a view to engage experts to develop the business plan.

The company, a Special Purpose Vehicle of the Ministry of Tourism Hospitality Industry,  was set up to mobilise resources for the United Nations World Tourism General Assembly co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in 2012.

According to Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company, the consultant will draw up a (TIDCP) marketing and competitiveness strategies, list of investment opportunities, projects and viability assessments.

Further, the plan will look at concepts for anchor projects, environment, culture and heritage preservation strategies, service infrastructure and land use concepts.

The consultant will also need to do a “summary of tourism development plan citing other countries experiences”, inception report, detailed work plan, training of staff, training report and technical report.

Government contends that modernising Victoria Falls will alter and add to the colonial legacy of infrastructure and stock of tourism facilities in the resort.

The focus of Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company’s focus would be guided by the National Tourism Master Plan, for organised and structured framework for sustainable development of Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.

Government’s position regarding tourism stems from the fact that the sector is regarded as having potential to turn around the domestic economy.

“The sector offers great potential for creating employment opportunities, generating foreign currency, spreading wealth across the geographical sparse and poverty alleviation.

“The sector is losing out on potential revenue due to limited activity base and tired products and lowered destination competitiveness, which need revamp,” the company said.

Mosi Oa Tunya’s was appointed in May 2015 with the board being chaired by prominent business executive Ms Ruth Ncube who is deputised by Mr Innocent Gwisai, an architect based in South Africa.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority staffer  Reason Machigere, tourism ministry director of policy and research Douglas Runyowa, University of Zimbabwe director physical planning (education), Diana Chimhanda and  Arthur Musakwa, Parks and Wildlife Management Authority regional director, are also part the board of directors.

Other members include Ministry of Finance staffer Fidelis Ngorora,                                  surveyor general Edwin Kuvaza, academic Dr Dzidziso Kamuriwo and Victoria Mugabe.

Source: Victoria Falls town to be transformed (27/02/18)

Vic Falls plans to introduce special levy

VICTORIA Falls Municipality plans to introduce a special levy to cater for the servicing of the sewer and road network in areas that are not properly connected.

The most affected is Ward 11 in Mkhosana suburb where sections under the BD46 and BD39 residential schemes do not have sewer connection and the roads are in a bad state. The stands were developed in 2002 and residents only managed to put water pipes.

Some residents managed to put septic tanks whereas some have been using the bush to relieve themselves.

There have been concerns as residents have raised the issue during budget consultations but there has not been any visible change.

Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said that during the inception of the BD46 and BD39 stands there was an agreement that residents would service the stands on their own. He, however, said the Municipality will soon introduce a billing system whereby concerned residents will be required to contribute towards the servicing of those areas.

“Initially, when residents started developing those stands they were supposed to finance the servicing as per an agreement with council. They, however, only managed to connect water pipes and failed to connect sewer systems and roads.

“Council is cognisant of that fact and we have completed a billing system whereby residents will be charged and council will service those areas. We are yet to finalise on how the system will operate but council is ready to start with the required work,” said the Town Clerk.

He said progress on the move will depend on residents’ response. The same ward has had challenges of frequent water cuts and Mr Dube said they are working with chemical suppliers and the situation will soon normalise.

“The issue of water is a national concern. There has been an intermittent supply of chemicals. In our situation, our traditional supplier has run out of foreign currency. But we have secured different suppliers. Those who want to supply us with chemicals are free to approach the local authority,” he said.

The local authority is currently servicing 200 upmarket residential stands and five commercial stands in the BB7 scheme that was introduced in 2016 after realisation that there was an ever increasing demand for accommodation in the resort town, which was recently accorded a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status.

Source: Vic Falls plans to introduce special levy (27/02/18)

4 Vic Falls poachers nabbed

FOUR suspected poachers from Victoria Falls are set to appear in court this week on allegations of snaring an impala and kudu, whose meat they later sold at a butchery at Lupinyu business centre.

Officer commanding Victoria Falls district, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona confirmed the arrest of Sibusiso Mpala (28), Anorld Mhlanga (20), Clifford Nyathi (28) and Khulumani Nkomo (40) all from Sikabela village in Woodlands.

“They are helping with investigations and will be appearing in court soon, charged with trapping animals using snares and removal of animals from one place to the other,” he said.

According to a fellow villager, the four sold game meat at Lupinyu business centre near Victoria Falls International Airport.

“On the day of their arrest, Mpala, Mhlanga and Nyathi were spotted carrying snares at night heading for Nkomo’s butchery at night,” she said.

“Nkomo hired them to poach wild animals and he sold the meat. He was making lots of money out of it, but we did not have evidence to report him, so when we saw his accomplices carrying snares and entering his butchery, we then alerted rangers at Fuller Forest.

“Police and rangers came and found Nkomo in possession of impala and kudu meat stored in his coolers, while snares were hidden behind the counter and he revealed that he was in business with other three,” the villager said.

Source: 4 Vic Falls poachers nabbed (24/02/18)