‘Speed up development of Vic Falls masterplan’

GOVERNMENT should speed up the development of the Victoria Falls Master Plan to create an appetite for investment in the country’s tourism capital.

The town is earmarked for national conferencing status after the Government approved the Conceptual Development Framework for the Victoria Falls-Hwange-Binga Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

There are also plans to come up with Masue City on the outskirts of the Victoria Falls City and Batoka City on the Zambezi gorges, which buttresses the combined development of Matabeleland North as a key component for transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

The new developments will come with state-of-the-art facilities ranging from five to seven-star hotels, recreational, banking and sporting facilities.

The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange was opened last year to attract foreign direct investment to the city.

Speaking during the 2022 pre-budget seminar in Victoria Falls last week, Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda implored Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo and his National Housing and Social Amenities counterpart, Daniel Garwe to speed up the development of the Victoria Falls masterplan to make the resort city attractive to investors.

The two ministers had earlier presented papers on priority areas going into the 2022 financial year.

“The Victoria Falls Masterplan has stagnated. The establishment of an offshore financial sector in Victoria Falls will attract so many people once tourism starts picking,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said the resort city had a shortfall of 2 500 hotel beds and investors can only invest in new hotels once the masterplan is out.

“Can we have the masterplan completed as soon as possible so that new investors can come in,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said the development of the Victoria Falls-Manjolo-Binga-Kanyemba tourism corridor, for instance, will spur massive growth.

“There should be massive development and some of you will have to play critical role in this economic corridor. You have done special plans, let’s see action on the ground,” said Adv Mudenda.

Hwange West Legislator Mr Godfrey Dube urged the Treasury to set aside funds in the 2022 budget for the specific Victoria Falls project. He said the integrated plan should be sensitive to wildlife and the environment so as to manage human-wildlife conflict.

“The Victoria Falls Integrated Masterplan is of great importance and we have spoken about it since 2018. It will improve the face of Victoria Falls including Kazungula, which will be incorporated leading to growth of another town,” he said.

“This will also bring in investors especially on accommodation and we anticipate that the tourism industry will rise again in the near future.

“We want the Masterplan to be mindful of the fact that Victoria Falls has to maintain its natural being with controlled human developments,” said Mr Dube.

He implored the Government to seek partnerships with the private sector on these developments, adding that the Victoria Falls City Council, if allowed to retain a percentage of earnings from the Rainforest, can also spearhead development. 

Source: ‘Speed up development of Vic Falls masterplan’ (27/10/21)

Chombo Free As State Drops All Six Charges

 The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has failed to find any evidence linking former minister Ignatius Chombo to the six criminal charges he was facing resulting in all his cases collapsing.

Prosecutor Lancelot Mutsokoti Tuesday told a Harare Magistrate court the state had insufficient evidence against Chombo...

Harare Magistrate Stanford Mambanje immediately removed the former minister from remand, leaving him a free man.

Last month Chombo was also acquitted in a case he was accused of unlawfully wearing Zapu-PF party regalia.

He was left to answer to one count of fraud and five counts of criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly illegally parcelled out land to himself and former First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Read more...

Source: Chombo Free As State Drops All Six Charges (05/10/2021)

Victoria Falls Bridge renovations scheduled to be undertaken

The Victoria Falls Bridge renovations scheduled to be undertaken soon following a deal between the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) and a Turkish railway contractor.

Turkish railway construction business Warpi Merkezy, which has operations throughout Africa, is conducting a needs assessment to establish a finance mechanism for NRZ infrastructure maintenance. The Victoria Falls Bridge that links Zambia and Zimbabwe is one of these pieces of infrastructure.

Ali Salih Uslu, Business Development Manager at Warpi Merkezy, claimed that they were looking into more simple and technical ways to reduce the cost of NRZ requirements on railway lines.

This is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in November following many meetings.

Officials from the company have been in Zimbabwe to evaluate NRZ’s substantial investment in rehabilitating railway lines from Mutare to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

“We will assess to reduce costs for the country, but for now, we have no figures,” Uslu said. “We need additional study and have a projects manager in Zambia. Hence we will combine findings to see what needs rehabilitation, even across the bridge. We will know soon, and we will do our best and come back,” Uslu further stated.

With increasing traffic loads over the years, there are concerns regarding the 198-meter-long, 128-meter-high bridge’s safety.

The bridge was constructed in 1904 and completed in 1905 as part of Cecil John Rhodes’ Cape to Cairo railway scheme.

The Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company of England built the Victoria Falls Bridge for £70,000.

Apart from repainting NRZ and Zambia Railways co-owners, no significant repairs have been made to the bridge.

Martin Dinha, the chairman of the NRZ board, claimed that the company’s equipment and fleet were worn out, obsolete, and vandalised in general.

Warpi Merkezy is returning for a second technical visit to assess how they can fit in and prepare a financial plan for railway line rehabilitation and modernisation, among other things.

Dinha remarked in a Victoria Falls interview that he believes the Victoria Falls Bridge renovations project would gain value and will be able to assist NRZ in modernising.

The Victoria Falls Bridge is located in a no-land man’s between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Source:  Victoria Falls Bridge renovations scheduled to be undertaken (21/09/21)

Businesses in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls anxious for tourists’ return

 Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls are in full flow this year. The mist from the water hitting the river more than 100 yards below is visible for miles. But the crowds are missing.

“COVID has taken a big hit here; we are basically on life support,” said Gail van Jaarsvelt, who owns retail businesses in the area.

More than 300,000 foreign tourists visited the Zimbabwean site in 2019. A mere 34,000 visited in 2020, threatening the survival of Victoria Falls, a town almost entirely dependent on tourist revenue.

To highlight the importance of tourism, the government offered free COVID-19 vaccination to every adult resident of Victoria Falls in March. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa made a point of getting vaccinated here, an event that was broadcast live on national TV.

By August, the ministry of health’s Dr. Munekayi Padingani said 72% of the town’s adults were fully vaccinated. As a result, he said, Victoria Falls was spared the deadly delta variant-driven third wave that other parts of the country are experiencing.

“We can say that our vaccination campaign was successful. The number of cases have gone down, and most of our cases are people who are not vaccinated,” he said.

Some airlines that had stopped flying into Victoria Falls earlier in the pandemic have resumed their flights. Farai Chimba, a hotel manager in the town, is also the vice chairperson of the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe. He said this should boost arrivals.

“We anticipate that as these flights continue to come in and increase the frequency, we’ll also see a corresponding increase in the number of passengers traveling into the destination,” Chimba said. 

But foreign tourists have to deal with travel restrictions in their own countries. So there’s a new focus on domestic tourism to keep Victoria Falls afloat in the short term. Still, van Jaarsveldt said, business owners need to do more to encourage more locals to visit.

“We dropped the ball with that long back,” she said. “We didn’t rate the local market, we wanted the more well-heeled travelers.”

The pandemic has indeed forced Zimbabwe’s tourism sector to take domestic tourism seriously. Chimba said some hotels are offering locals discount packages of as much as 70%. The government has targeted multi-media advertising campaigns and scrapped a consumption tax on tourism products and services for locals at tourist destinations. 

Source: Businesses in Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls anxious for tourists’ return (07/09/21)

Haulage trucks eyesore on Victoria Falls streets

LONG queues of haulage trucks parked on either side of the road just after Masue Bridge is the first thing a visitor into Victoria Falls encounters.

The hearty welcome Victoria Falls is popular for could soon be overshadowed by the ugly sight of the haulage trucks if no immediate action is taken.

Motorists, including tour operators’ vehicles carrying clients, have to reduce speed when approaching the Victoria Falls Truck Stop turn-off as the road that stretches up to Mkhosana turn-off has literally become a narrow strip due to trucks parked on either side.

There are also scores of touts and hawkers making the place an accident zone and a health hazard. Sex workers roam freely at night.

Residents on the CBZ stands west of the Hwange-Victoria Falls Road have to endure the dust which has even become a permanent coat to the interior and exterior of homes.

The place is a hive of activity as hawkers sell water and soft drinks to truck drivers while others solicit for jobs such as doing laundry.

Evenings have their own tale as sex workers have found a hunting ground.

The truck stop which is run by Victoria Falls City Council in a partnership with some private investors, can accommodate between 80 and 100 trucks at any given time.

Many park outside and sometimes there are close to 100 trucks between Mkhosana turn-off and the steep slope towards Masue Bridge.

The city mayor, Councillor Somveli Dlamini, said efforts are being made to find alternative land for parking.

“Our truck stop is overwhelmed by the volume of trucks hence many park outside which is not lawful though. The council is trying to find alternative land, this was once discussed in council but there hasn’t been a resolution,” he said.

Cllr Dlamini could not say whether the city has by-laws to regulate parking of the trucks.

Questions sent to council management had not been responded to by the time of going to print.

The truck drivers will be waiting for clearance to cross the border to Zambia or Botswana.

Some spend up to a month waiting for their documents.

Each truck, whether inside the truck stop or outside, is charged US$15 park fees for the whole period the truck is parked.

Drivers make fire to prepare their meals on the road side, posing the danger of starting veld fires.

The stretch of the road was also a traditional wildlife corridor as animals trek to the gorges.

A long-distance truck driver, Mr Gift Kapamba from Zambia, said they are also affected by dust while parked in the area.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Mr Kelvin Moyo said residents have complained about the presence of haulage trucks.

“We are equally worried about the issue as it is both a health hazard especially for residents who live on the windward side and accident zone. We have received complaints from residents on the CBZ stands and we feel this should be speedily attended to. The council should provide alternative land for all trucks or come up with by-laws that regulate the situation there,” said Mr Moyo.

“However, there is no justification for people to see this as a hunting ground for commercial sex which we have seen happening. Besides sexually transmitted diseases there is also a danger of the spread of Covid-19 and accidents.”

A similar scenario is found at the Victoria Falls border where trucks block the no-man’s land between the Victoria Falls Bridge and Zimbabwean border and the entrance into the Rainforest.

Tour operators have complained about the issue at various fora saying their clients sometimes have to duck the trucks when walking to the bridge or entering the Rainforest.

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe Matabeleland North chapter chairperson Mr Anald Musonza said while trucking business is a huge economic activity, it must be supported in a manner that allows other economic activities like tourism to survive.

“That issue needs urgent solution and trucks taken to designated parking sites. They have become a nuisance and blocking smooth movement of people in the city while also damaging roads. We are a tourism capital and the environment should be welcoming hence we need a more orderly parking process,” said Mr Musonza.

The presence of trucks negates the city’s drive towards a clean sustainable green tourism city.

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda could not readily comment on the issue saying he had not been briefed on the situation on the ground.

Source:  Haulage trucks eyesore on Victoria Falls streets (02/09/2021)

Minister appoints new Mosi Oa Tunya board

 TOURISM minister Mangaliso Ndhlovu has appointed a new board for Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company (Pvt) Ltd, and chairpersons for the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) boards.

Announcing the appointments yesterday, Ndhlovu said he was looking forward to having the new Mosi Oa Tunya board chaired by Shiela  Sidambe to deliver on its mandate for infrastructure development in Victoria Falls.

 “Our expectation of the new board is that they will expedite the current feasibility studies for bulk infrastructure that are being done with the assistance of Old Mutual and also move with speed and appropriate diligence to register the company’s presence in Victoria Falls with a solid brick and mortar project,” Ndhlovu said.

He added that the government expected the company to grow the tourism product base in Victoria Falls in the lifespan of the National Development Strategy.

The minister said in appointing he had undertaken to infuse experience with new vision and ideas focusing on skills “which will be pertinent in the new mandate of the Board whose main focus is Tourism Infrastructure development in Victoria Falls”.

Other members of the board include Desmond Matete (deputy chairperson) R. Mukogo , Aaron Chingombe , Felix Ngorora,  Rugare Dobbie,  C. Chinengundu  and Irene Kamutero who are all board members while Patience Zenda is board member and ministry representative.

One of the members, Kamutero was a nominee from Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) which has a 20 percent shareholding in the company.

Regarding the ZTA Ray Mawerera was appointed the substantive chairperson.

“Your appointment comes at a time when the tourism sector is going through unprecedented challenges. The sector, like many others, has been hard hit by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

“It is common knowledge that travel and tourism have almost come to a halt due to the Covid-19 induced travel and other restrictions.

“That notwithstanding, there are high expectations that the sector should rebound and make a meaningful contribution to national economic recovery,” said the minister.

He also directed that the authority should urgently finalise the recruitment of a substantive chief executive officer to replace Karokoga Kaseke who retired last week.

For Ema, Ndlovu appointed Zenzo Nsimbi as board chairperson.

Source: Minister appoints new Mosi Oa Tunya board (30/08/2021)

Enviro Watch in drive to reduce firewood consumption

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

A LOCAL community organisation has launched an environment conservation project where it is distributing less firewood consuming stoves to households.

Vic Falls Enviro Watch’s motive is to reduce cutting down of trees for firewood and use of open fire in the household. It gave 15 rocket stoves to Siyazama Women’s Group in Victoria Falls as a pilot project which will be rolled out to the whole city if successful.

This comes in the wake of a suspension of issuing of permits to sell firewood and the national blitz against illegal firewood and charcoal dealers by the Forestry Commission.

There have been concerns about massive cutting down of trees in and around Victoria Falls by residents for firewood.

A majority of them come from some parts of Mkhosana, Chinotimba, Aerodrome and CBZ stands that have no electricity.

Fifteen women who are members of Siyazama Women’s Group were given rocket stoves on Saturday as a pilot project.

A rocket stove is made of a four-dimensional hollow pipe with three openings, one being an inlet for firewood, the other is a fire outlet on which the plate is mounted, and a breather at the bottom.

The stove uses twigs and chips from wood hence consumes three times less firewood than an open fire.

Vic Falls Enviro Watch made the stoves which are being given free of charge as a pilot project.

The organisation’s chairperson Mr Tony Peel said their motive is to reduce cutting down of trees and use of open fire at home.

“We are concerned about unsustainable developments in Victoria Falls and so we decided to come up with these rocket stoves which are generally three times effective than open fire and use limited energy but with high output.

This is a pilot project which we will be monitoring and once it’s effective we will roll it out to the whole town,” said Mr Peel.

He said the concept will be spread countrywide if it proves to be a success with the aim of reducing deforestation across the country.

Vic Falls Enviro Watch has also erected wildlife related road signs along the Victoria Falls-Kazungula road to prevent accidents caused by wildlife.Victoria Falls ward 11 councillor Edmore Zhou who helped in the formation of Siyazama Women’s Group said members will be assisted in getting firewood from the Forestry Commission.

‘We are negotiating with Forestry Commission so that club members can have access to firewood. The beauty about this stove is that it uses very little firewood meaning you won’t have to endanger your lives going into the wildlife infested bush. The council will soon be raiding firewood dealers and you will be safe,” he said.

Siyazama chairperson Mrs Ketani Phiri said: “Most of us have been arrested and encountered wild animals in the bush. We fetch firewood all year round except for the rainy season when the bush will be thick. So, we sat down and thought of having something sustainable hence we came up with the idea of this club. We want to try this stove and we hope it will work well so we don’t frequent the bush.”

Most houses in Victoria Falls have heaps of firewood which they poach from the surrounding bush. — @ncubeleon

Source: Enviro Watch in drive to reduce firewood consumption (16/08/21)