African Sun Hotels donates US$21K to a conservation organisation in Victoria Falls

The African Sun Hotels group has donated US$21 000 to The Victoria Falls Anti- Poaching Unit, a non-profit wildlife organisation to cover salaries and medical aid for game scouts.

During the handover ceremony held in Victoria Falls today, African Sun Hotels’ head Marketing, Public Relations and Innovation Charleen Mtezo said this is part of their Corporate Social Responsibility in order to fulfill and meaningfully impact the communities in which they operate, as well as contribute towards the achievement of the United Nations agenda 2030 for strategic development goals.

“The town of Victoria Falls is located in one of the most beautiful environments,” she said.

“However, the beauty of the location comes with some heavy burden of human and wildlife conflict. The Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit tries to ease some of the burdens by protecting the wildlife and habitat from poachers, as well as rescuing and rehabilitating injured animals.

Additionally, they train ex- poachers in new skills so they find alternative avenues of revenue creation to give them a sustainable income without doing harm to flora and fauna. It is against this background that the African Sun Limited, we saw fit for us to assist the Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit, so that they are able to carry out the challenging tasks at hand.”

She said the donation of will cover salaries, medical aid for scouts for a period of 12 months.

“l wish to invite other corporations to join us safeguard our precious environment and transform the lives of our communities. Lastly, I applaud those who are already on the ground doing the same.”

Source: African Sun Hotels donates US$21K to a conservation organisation in Victoria Falls (30/06/23)

Call to harmonise Victoria Falls Rainforest entry fees

ZIMBABWE should review and harmonise entry fees charged to foreign visitors that want to tour the Victoria Falls Rainforest, which some stakeholders feel are discriminatory and negate efforts towards regional integration.

Speaking during a recent 9th edition of the Africa Public Service Day commemorations here, delegates complained about the uneven entry fees.

The new fees schedule effected in April by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, which manages the Victoria Falls National Park in which the Rainforest and the world natural wonder are located, demands locals to pay US$7 per person while Sadc and international clients pay US$30 and US$50 respectively.

Delegates to the APSD meeting who were drawn from different African Union member states said Africa’s Agenda 2063 ‘The Africa We Want’ will not be achieved if Africans fail to treat each other as equals and love their continent.

They were speaking after touring the Rainforest and implored responsible authorities to charge a uniform fee to all Africans regardless of country of origin or region. Delegates said Africa has the potential to launch its growth and Africans should be proud of their identity instead of identifying themselves in terms of individual countries or regions.

The conference, which sought to find solutions to challenges that affect equity, inclusivity, environment, climate change and economic growth, resolved that issues such as different entry fees into the Rainforest were indicators of failure to unite the continent.

It noted that resolving such issues was critical, especially at a time when the region is implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create a single continental market with a population of about 1,3 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product of approximately US$3,4 trillion.

The AfCFTA is one of the flagship projects under Agenda 2063 and seeks to boost trade in value-added production and trade across all sectors of Africa’s economy.

As such, delegates said the entry fees disparity was one of the issues that need to be addressed if the continent is to achieve its set targets. “We went to the Victoria Falls and some were made to pay US$50 because they are international and some were charged US$30 because they are Sadc,” said one of the participants.

“Because of that, we started seeing ourselves as different people. These are some of the things that make us fail to be united, we look at each other as people who are not from the same motherland.” Another delegate had earlier raised the same issue during plenary saying the entry fees were a reflection of lack of unity among Africans. Delegates said the future of Africa calls for futuristic thinking.

Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Professor Paul Mavima who was guest speaker on behalf of President Mnangagwa, said it was imperative for AU member states to follow the principles of the continent’s founding fathers.

Source: Call to harmonise Victoria Falls Rainforest entry fees (29/06/23)

Zimbabwe and Zambia in joint management of Vic Falls

 ZIMBABWE and Zambia have stepped up efforts to manage the iconic Victoria Falls and look at possible opportunities for developing the tourist attraction.

Officials from the two countries met in Livingstone, Zambia, recently at the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting to discuss the trans-boundary Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

Zimbabwe and Zambia share Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Speaking at the meeting, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndhlovu hailed joint efforts to protect and develop the site.

“Zimbabwe is remaining committed to the maintenance of the integrity of the World Heritage Site and Zimbabwe will work together with the Republic of Zambia, Unesco and other state parties to ensure the property remains a sought-after Natural Wonder of the World,” Ndhlovu said.

“There are various developments going on at the Victoria Falls, which are critical to the preservation of the outstanding universal values that have seen us maintaining the integrity of the natural heritage.”

Ndhlovu said updating the Strategic Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report, which started in 2021 and work on the updating of the Joint Integrated Management Plan of the property were also crucial.

He called for the two countries to ensure that any development near Victoria Falls did not disturb the site.

“Considering the sensitivity of the area, we need to be conscious on our developments not to disturb the biodiversity, flora and fauna within the property, achieving sustainable environment for the benefit for the future generations,” the minister said.

He said proposed key projects, such as the Batoka George hydroelectric power station, needed to consider and address concerns raised by key stakeholders while maintaining viable and appropriate technical requirements for optimum power generation.

He commended the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) for responding to the concerns and revising specifications to ensure that they meet the minimum technical requirements.

“I urge all parties to take a rational balanced approach to the issues of development and conservation in the property,” Ndhlovu said.

Victoria Falls in 2022 received about 390 000 visitors.

“At this point in time, we may not be able to indicate how much was received as revenue and how many people are employed directly benefiting from the property. However, we need to reflect on what properties of a similar nature are getting for us to set ambitious targets for ourselves.

“More visitors mean more revenue, which translates to economic growth and opportunities for both our peoples. On the other hand, we will need to ensure that as we increase the numbers of visitors, we do not affect the integrity of our property.”

Zambian Tourism minister Rodney Sikumba said the two countries remained committed to managing the Victoria Falls in a manner that sustains its outstanding universal value for prosperity.

“We also realise the great potential the site has to provide an oasis of socio-economic development through well-planned and environmentally friendly developments within and on the periphery of the Victoria Falls/Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls World Heritage Site,” Sikumba said. 

He also called on the two countries to maximise the economic returns accruing from Victoria Falls, without lowering its conservation standards.

“This balancing act needs to be buttressed by well-informed processes and empirical evidence that can re-assure global stakeholders that the priority is resource protection and the basis for resource protection is sustainable use and economic benefits within the boundaries of the protected areas,” he said.

Source: Zimbabwe and Zambia in joint management of Vic Falls (23/06/23)

Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project

- Zambia cancels a building contract for a 2,400-megawatt power station on the Zambezi River due to high costs and failure to follow proper procurement procedures. 

- Zambia’s energy minister suggests exploring a hybrid solution combining solar and hydropower, indicating a potential reduction in capacity to around 1,000 megawatts. 

- General Electric and PowerChina remain silent as Zambia seeks to re-advertise the project and address setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and financing challenges.

Zambia has disclosed that it will cancel a building contract given to General Electric Co. and Power Building Corp. of China because the project to build a 2,400-megawatt power station on the Zambezi River is too expensive.

In remarks aired late Tuesday on the state-run Zambia National Broadcasting Corp., and reported by the American news agency, Bloomberg, Zambia's energy minister, Peter Kapala, noted that proper procurement procedures weren't followed when the purchase was made. The dam's development is overseen by the state-run Zambezi River Authority, which predicted last year that the project would cost $5 billion.

“We are disengaging from that contract and we hope to re-advertise it and revisit everything that was agreed to before. Mainly, it was because of the cost, it was just too much,” said Kapala.

“The latest information is that the hydrology of Zambezi might not favor the establishment of a 2,400-megawatt hydro-plant,” the energy minister said.

“We could reach that if maybe we do a hybrid of solar and hydro itself, but the indications are that we could be looking at far much less than the 2,400, it could be maybe even 1,000 megawatts,” he added.

General Electric declined to respond right away. An email sent outside of regular business hours seeking comment did not immediately receive a response from PowerChina.

The 2,400-megawatt Batoka Gorge project was supposed to get going in 2020, however, there were a number of setbacks, including the coronavirus epidemic and problems obtaining finance.

General Electric and Power China were chosen to construct the facility jointly by Zambia and Zimbabwe. Both countries in southern Africa are experiencing an electrical shortfall as a result of poorly maintained plants and drought-related production reductions at existing hydroelectric facilities on the Zambezi River.

The secretary for energy and power development in Zimbabwe, Gloria Magombo, stated on Wednesday that she was not aware of the statements made by the minister of Zambia and that the ministry will reply later.

Source: Zambia cancels $5 billion project with China (16/06/23)

Two tourists trampled to death by elephant in Zambia

Two tourists in their effort to take a perfect shot close to a wild elephant were trampled to death in Zambia on Saturday.

64-year-old Dutch man and a 57-year-old Belgium woman while on a safari at Maramba River Lodge in Livingstone tried getting close to the animal to take pictures, which led to the elephant charging the woman, the AFP report.

Their bodies were found lying on the ground with multiple injuries, police spokesperson Danny Mwale said.

According to the Senior Wildlife Warden for the southern region Lewis Daka, the man tried to save the woman but also got trampled. He told the Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) that his department is urging lodge owners to provide guides to visitors to make sure that tourists don’t get so close to the animals.

The ZNBC reports that there has been an influx of the elephants in Livingstone and Mosi-o-tunya National Park, and that last week a security officer at another nearby lodge was trampled by elephants on his way to work while he cycled through the park. Employees from the company were banned from travelling through the park to work.

Many tourists visiting Africa enjoy getting an up-close and personal encounter with wild animals and this sometimes ends in tragedy many times.

Source: 2 tourists trampled to death by elephant in Zambia (15/06/2023)

7-star hotel for Vic Falls

VICTORIA Falls City Council has partnered with CBZ Bank and a Swiss developer to build a 7-star hotel in the resort city.

The city’s mayor Councillor Somvelo Dlamini told Chronicle that designs for the ambitious project have been done while a piece of land has been identified.

Work is now underway to finalise some internal processes at central Government and local authority levels.

No budget has been finalized yet as planning is ongoing, according to Cllr Dlamini, who was not at liberty to disclose details about the Swiss company and the partnership.

He, however, said the city was on a rapid development and growth trajectory in line with the country’s drive towards becoming an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

“There is a lot of development that is coming to the city and as we speak, we have partnered with CBZ and a Swiss company to come and build a 7-star hotel here in Victoria Falls.

“Plans are underway and once approved the project will kickstart and construction of the hotel will begin,” said the Mayor.

He said land was identified behind Victoria Falls Hotel, between the railway line and Zambezi River gorges. At the moment, Victoria Falls, which is Zimbabwe’s tourism capital has only two 5-star hotels.

This comes as Cabinet recently approved the implementation of the Masuwe Special Economic Zone (SEZ) project, which will have state-of-the-art facilities, including 5-star hotel and conference sfacilities, following a feasibility study that found the scheme to be highly profitable.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya Development Company was tasked with implementation of the Masuwe SEZ project. The Cabinet approval has paved way for implementation of the Masuwe SEZ project, which Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has said needs to be speedily actioned since a consultant had been engaged.>

In terms of Masuwe city scope, Government earmarks to have a multi-million dollar 4-star hotel, a 5 000-seater conference centre, medical centre, a golf estate and shopping mall.

Tourism players have said Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls in particular, faces a critical shortage of rooms and conferencing facilities, which presents a low-hanging fruit for investment.

Since the coming in of the Second Republic, significant developments have been made in tourism infrastructure through partnerships, with a number of hotels and lodges having been built. However, a majority of them have less than 100 rooms each.>

Cllr Dlamini said besides creating employment for locals, the project will change the face of the city. He was speaking soon after a recent tour of the Victoria Falls Hospital by the Ministry of Health and Child Care and said the city needs modern infrastructure to attract investors.

“There is a piece of land that has been identified for this hotel and plans are underway. Once approved by Cabinet they will come to council. Designs have been done and have been shown to us as we wait for approval by the department of planning,” said Clr Dlamini.

“For now, we don’t have figures yet because we are still on the planning stages. So, we are going to engage the investor and then engage Government,” he said.

Tourism is one of the key economic drivers in the country alongside mining, agriculture, and manufacturing, and infrastructure development in the sectors is one of the crucial elements as the Government implements the National Development Strategy (NDS1), which builds momentum towards towards Vision 2030. — @ncubeleon

Source: 7-star hotel for Vic Falls (30 May 2023)

FIU unfreezes accounts of ‘Gold Mafia’ suspects

 The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit has lifted the order freezing bank accounts and assets of officials allegedly involved in the “Gold Mafia” of gold smuggling, money laundering and bribery outlined in an Al Jazeera documentary.

The FIU had not identified money laundering or financial crime linked to the Al Jazeera allegations, hence the unfreezing, but the unit made it clear that the unfreezing was without prejudice to investigations and resulting action by law enforcement agencies. The FIU would co-operate in any international investigations.

The accounts and assets were frozen so the FIU could carry out investigations into self-incriminating comments made by the officials in the four-episode Al Jazeera documentary.

Government had directed relevant State organs to launch investigations into the allegations made in the documentary as some people had confessed to engaging in corrupt activities.

In a statement yesterday, the FIU’s director general Mr Oliver Chiperesa, said the decision to unfreeze the officials’ assets had been informed by a careful investigation and analysis of the documentary.

“Following the broadcast of Al Jazeera’s documentary series titled “The Gold Mafia” the Financial Intelligence Unit issued a directive on 31 March 2023 directing financial institutions to identify, freeze and report bank accounts and other financial assets owned or controlled by individuals who were alleged to have played key roles in alleged acts of money laundering and other financial crimes.

“The FIU exercised its temporary freezing powers to ensure that any illicit proceeds connected to the allegations in the documentary would not be dissipated or disposed of by the persons concerned and prejudice potential future investigations,” he said.

Mr Chiperesa said the FIU had not identified any irregularities linked to allegations made in the documentary.

Assets belonging to Cleopas Chidodo, David Chirozvi, Mehlululi Dube and Frederick Kunaka had been frozen.

Chidodo is the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe head of security who was captured in Episode 2 of the documentary narrating how he assisted gold smugglers avoid detection as they transport contraband to Dubai via Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, while Chirozvi is the head of finance of the RBZ subsidiary Aurex Jewellery. 

Kunaka is the General Manager of Fidelity Printers and Refiners and was allegedly on the payroll of the gold mafia during which he received a kickback of US$30 000 a month according to the documentary.

Dube, who was allegedly being paid US$3 000 per month by the gold smuggling syndicate, is associated with Golden Beryl Private Limited.

“The FIU, working in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies, has since concluded its analysis of the four episodes of the Al Jazeera documentary and has also analysed the financial assets and transactions of the persons implicated in the documentary and has determined that there is no good cause for the freezing order to remain in place.

“The FIU has not identified transactions or assets linked to money laundering and related financial crime connected to the allegations in the Al Jazeera documentary,” said Mr Chiperesa.

“In view of the above, the FIU has directed financial institutions to unfreeze all the accounts and other financial assets that had been frozen pursuant to the directive of 31 March 2023.”

The FIU, said Mr Chiperesa, was ready to cooperate with any international investigations as required.

He said the unfreezing of the assets was above board.

“The unfreezing action is without prejudice to any further investigations that law enforcement agencies may wish to commence or continue against any of the persons involved.

“Some of the allegations in the documentary relate to money laundering and financial crimes alleged to have taken place outside Zimbabwe’’s borders.

“The FIU, if so requested, stands ready and is indeed mandated to cooperate with any international investigations against any of the persons or entities mentioned in the documentary,” said Mr Chiperesa.

Source: FIU unfreezes accounts of ‘Gold Mafia’ suspects (15/05/2023)