Vic Falls residents accuse council of corruption

VICTORIA Falls residents have accused the Zanu PF controlled council of corruption and ignoring input from ratepayers when formulating budgets. The residents made the allegations at a heated meeting organised by Transparency International Zimbabwe in the resort town on Wednesday.

BY Nokuthaba Dlamini

Trymore Ndolo, a local activist said the local authority often ignored input from ratepayers when formulating important policies and the annual budget.
“They make decisions without involvement of the local community and they are undermining good corporate governance,” Ndolo said.

“The government put a strategic plan — ZimAsset that governs even the local council, but it is a pity that they go against that programme.”

He said residents had no say in the local authority’s proposed $20 million budget for this year as there were no consultations as per government policy. Ndolo said council refused to revise the budget before submitting it to the government for approval despite residents raising objections.

“We are happy because we heard that it was sent back for revision.

“We agreed that the (council beer gardens) were not going to be leased and suddenly we read it in the newspapers that they have resolved to offer them to employees Even the salary cut which was a directive from the government is yet to be implemented,” he said.

The government is yet to approve council’s budget for this year after council failed to heed a directive to cap the town clerk’s salary at $3 200.

Last month council said it had resolved to lease out its two loss making beer gardens to employees because they had become a burden for the local authority.

Another resident, Vusumuzi Moyo said council had also ignored residents’ concerns over the sale of housing stands, which were deemed too expensive for locals.

The residents said they feared to report corruption cases because there was a threat of victimisation for whistle blowers.

They resolved to set up a committee to monitor council expenditure to curb corruption. Misheck Dube said failure by council to attend the meeting showed that they did not take residents’ concerns seriously.

“Why are the council officials not here? We want them here because we know each individual’s scandal and we will confront them.

“Now they are saying (newly released housing) stands go for $50 000 each, but who can raise that money within a year except for a thief. They only want to say they offered us and we did not take the offers. They will take the stands and sell them to outsiders at cheaper prices,” said Dube.

Last month, council was in the eye of a storm after it advertised housing stands worth over $50 000 where buyers were expected to earn at least $5 000 to be eligible to buy the land.

Residents claimed the move was a ploy to sell the 200 low-density housing stands to outsiders and the rich because few locals could afford the prices.

According to a statement by council, the stands from Aerodrome Extension (BB7) were at least 2 000 square metres and their prices range from $32 000 to $50 000.

Meanwhile, Transparency International Zimbabwe officials encouraged residents to report corruption and pledged to help those who felt cheated by council.

Source: Vic Falls residents accuse council of corruption (12/02/16)

Qatar, Etihad to Fly Into Victoria Falls

By Golden Sibanda and Costa Mano

Victoria Falls — Qatar and Etihad are among a string of global airlines lining up to start flights into Victoria Falls following the extensive upgrade of the Victoria Falls International Airport to modernise and increase its capacity.

The $150 million upgrade to increase the airport's capacity and give it a new modern look has been touted as a game changer that will allow the biggest, reputable global airlines to fly into the resort town and boost arrivals.

Initially designed to handle just 500 000 travellers per year, the extensive upgrades have increased the airport's capacity to 2 million while making it possible for the biggest airliners to land at the airport.

The expansion followed realisation by Government just before the turn of the century that the life of the country's old airports were coming to an end and required upgrade before demand outweighed capacity.

Victoria Falls International Airport manager Mr Ronnie Masawi said on Wednesday that Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Lufthansa had indicated willingness to fly into the world renowned resort.

Mr Masawi was updating delegates to the Zimbabwe Council for Tourism Convention on progress made in upgrading and refurbishing the resort town's airport. There has also been interest from Ethiopian Airways, Kenyan Airways and Emirates who have indicated that they would consider adding another aircraft through Victoria Falls to Harare when traffic increases.

"We may not necessarily get a new airline tomorrow, airlines will first code share, which is one way to study the market. Right now Etihad have got a code share with British Airways. Recently Lufthansa got a code share arrangement with South African Airways to Victoria Falls," he said.

"So in other words we already have Lufthansa coming to Victoria Falls; Etihad and Qatar also. So what they do is that when they have built the market to a sizeable number, they then introduce their own aircraft."

Presently, airlines flying into Victoria Falls include Namibian Airways, fastjet, British Airways, Fly Africa and Air Zimbabwe, which could not use its bigger aircraft such as the Boeing 767 prior to the upgrades.

The upgrades should have been completed in September last year, but exceeded the initially targeted period due to unforeseen challenges.

It is now expected that outstanding works will be done by mid-year. The land side upgrades of the airport involved construction of the new exquisite and modern terminal building to match global standards.

This also included water and sewer reticulation, new car park and roadworks and the new airport village sewer system. The air side upgrades entailed the construction of a new runway, four kilometres long and 60 metres wide. Previously, Mr Masawi said, the airport had a runway that was only 2,2 kilometres long.

"We could only land up to an A319, which is what South African Airways are using, Boeing 737-400, what British Airways Com Air are using or Boeing 737-200, which is what Air Zimbabwe was using before we started using the new runway.

The new runway has also been fitted with lights that were previously not there, which will enable the airport to progressively transition into a 24 hour operation based on demand from increasing traffic.

Source: Qatar, Etihad to Fly Into Victoria Falls (12/02/16)

Game fence irks Vic Falls tour operators

A war is looming among tour operators in Victoria Falls after a businessman fenced off part of Chamabondo Forest in a development that will affect tourism activities as an animal corridor has been blocked.

Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter, The Chronicle

Proprietors of Landela Complex which runs Landela Lodge in Masue, have erected a fence across Chamabondo Forest in a move some operators have said would push them out of business.

The same land has been earmarked by the government for establishment of a recreational theme park between Victoria Falls International Airport and Masue River.

Two tour operators Lion Encounter and Adventure Zone who are leasing an area in Chamabondo Forest have since been told to vacate as they have been encircled by the fence.

Landela Complex owner businessman Stewart Cranswick represented by his consultant Trevor Lane erected the fence stretching from the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road at Masue Bridge to Stanley and Livingstone Lodge more than 4km away.

The two-metre high fence seen by The Chronicle yesterday, also cuts across Masue River up to the railway line along the highway and extends westwards towards Nakavango area.

Even game drives in Chamabondo National Park operated by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority will be affected as the fence closes off the game area.

Affected tour operators have approached the Affirmative Action Group over the issue complaining that no Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out in terms of the Environmental Management Act.

Brent Williams from Adventure Zone said no consultations were done.

“We wonder what could be happening because there was no consultation as we only saw a fence being erected.

“They’ve closed the game corridor and we wonder if we’ll still have access to our area of operation because that’s all we need,” he said.

Naison Webb from Lion Encounter confirmed that they had been given a notice to vacate.

“We were told last year and because land isn’t ours we’re looking for alternative space for our activities.

“If we fail to get one that means our business will be affected,” said Webb.

Lane said Lion Encounter and Adventure Zone would be removed from the area.

“I don’t know if any other operators will be affected but those operating from there have been told to seek alternative places.

“I can’t explain further because that’s not my land as I’m a consultant for Cranswick,” he said.

Authorities at Stanley and Livingstone lodge refused to allow Lane to join the fence to theirs.

“I don’t want to be seen commenting for now but we couldn’t allow their fence to be joined to ours.

“They also wanted their solar panels in our premises but we couldn’t allow that,” said wildlife manager at Stanley and Livingstone, Ian Dupreez.

AAG Victoria Falls chapter vice president Tonderai Mutasa said there were fears of fierce animal-human conflict as wildlife will now be forced to cross between Fuller Forest and Chamabondo through residential areas.

Source: Game fence irks Vic Falls tour operators (10/02/16)

African Sun offloads contract workers

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

HOTEL group African Sun Limited has terminated contracts for dozens of its workers as part of measures to streamline its operations.

About 30 workers from Elephant Hills Resort who were on contract stopped work on January 31 after being told that their contracts would not be renewed.

Some had worked for between 15 and 20 years.

Those affected are from guest services maintenance, housekeeping, grounds, food and beverages among others.

Besides Elephant Hills Resort, others were sent home from other branches such as Kingdom and Hwange Safari Lodge, which are all under new management — Legacy Group.

The group’s board a few days ago rendered about 40 other workers jobless after it resolved to shut down operations at its loss making Beitbridge Express Hotel.

This was after the hotel recorded a loss amounting to $217,910 for the year ending December 31, 2015 and a debt accumulation of $507,910 for the past two years.

Responding to e-mail questions, the group’s chief executive officer, Edwin Shangwa, confirmed the terminations but could not be drawn into giving numbers.

“African Sun Limited group undertook and concluded a major retrenchment exercise in August 2015.

The company continues to review its business model and entire operations spectrum and retrenchment is always a possibility if any of the viability assessments underway render it the inevitable option,” he said.

Shangwa said termination of contracts was one of the many ways adopted by the hotel group to streamline its operations towards a robust turnaround.

Last year the group joined other firms across the country who sent home hundreds of workers following a Supreme Court ruling that gave employers the green light to terminate contracts on three months’ notice.

“Retrenchment is a legal option available to any management wherever and whenever they deem it unavoidable in the course of managing shareholder investments. It’s, however, not an overarching and permanent strategy but is contingent upon prevailing and internal and external business environmental conditions,” said Shangwa.

He said business was on the negative as evidenced by the closure of the Beitbridge Express Hotel.
“Pertaining to the Beitbridge Express Hotel closure, the African Sun Limited board took a well-considered view that the Beitbridge market would be untenable for the continued sustenance of our hotel there solely on an assessment relevant and restricted to that market,” Shangwa explained.

“The Beitbridge market has seen an exponential slump in demand coupled with an oversupply of rooms in the last three years. In their assessment, the board concluded that the hotel was unlikely to return to profitably in the foreseeable future and keeping it open would only have eroded value for the broader group.”

The group also runs Holiday Inn, Troutbeck Resort and Monomotapa Hotels.

The tourism industry has been facing viability challenges for sometime in the wake of suppressed arrivals. The situation has also been blamed on high charges for services with players seeking the scrapping of the 15 percent tourism levy, which was introduced last year.

Source: African Sun offloads contract workers (10/02/16)

Man survives Victoria Falls Bridge fall

By Leonard Ncube

VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE – A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) employee almost plunged into the Zambezi River after he fell off the Victoria Falls Bridge.

Shava, whose age could not be readily established but is believed to be in his 40’s, was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo in a critical condition.

Witnesses said Shava was rescued by his colleagues on the lower ramp of the bridge.

NRZ spokesperson Fanuel Masikati said they were investigating what could have caused the accident as safety measures “have always been in place to prevent accidents.”

“I can confirm that we received a report about one of our employees who got injured while on duty at the Victoria Falls Bridge. We’re investigating the cause of the accident because we’ve never had such an incident since we started working on the bridge as there are safety harness belts and nets which should be in place whenever a team is working,” he said.

Masikati said Shava was an experienced worker who had spent more than 10 years with the NRZ.

The bridge is jointly maintained by NRZ and its railway counterparts in Zambia.

Shava was working with about six other workers when he allegedly tried to scale up the bridge, but lost his grip and slipped.

Added Masikati: “There are safety nets and harness belts and we’re actually shocked about what happened because these things are meant to prevent such incidents. None of our staff on the ground has given full details and investigations are being carried out.

“In all our workshops, safety comes first and we really have to investigate this.”

The Chronicle visited the accident scene yesterday and there were no workers on site.

Source: Man survives Victoria Falls Bridge fall (09/02/16)

Victoria Falls to see recovery in 2016

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, experienced a 20% drop in tourist arrivals in 2015 compared with 2014 according to the Employers’ Association of Tourism and Safari Operators (EATSO). However, operators are confident that 2016 will be better, thanks in part to the new airport.

Clement Mukwasi, EATSO President, told Zimbabwe’s NewsDay the after effects of the Ebola virus and a tax on foreign tourists were the main causes of the drop.

Although tour operators and product owners have confirmed that tourism has been down, Africa Albida Tourism CE Ross Kennedy argues tourist arrivals to Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls were not down 20%. "According to hotel statistics kept by ten leading hotels in Victoria Falls, room occupancy was only down 2% between 2014 and 2015, and entry numbers to the Victoria Falls Rainforest were down 2,6% year on year.

Kennedy adds that he did notice a downturn in tourism in 2015, but this was rescued in November and December by a significant rise in visitor numbers. He says: “If it had not been for this surge in the last couple of months in 2015, tourist numbers would have been 8% down for the year.”

Trish Mambinge, spokesperson for Shearwater Victoria Falls, also reported that numbers were down. She told Tourism Update that Ebola had been the main reason cited for cancelled trips.

Sally Wynn, Director Wild Zambezi, agreed that the Ebola-scare had had a major impact, especially since international travellers tended to plan well in advance. “People also believe that the SA visa situation has had an effect, as well as the dropping rates of the euro, the Australian dollar and the rand against the US$,” she added.

“We are quite positive about 2016,” said Mambinge. “Future bookings are looking good and there has also been a great interest shown by the big markets that had stopped or reduced travel to Zimbabwe.”

“Obviously we hope for better, especially with the new Vic Falls International Airport coming online,” said Wynn. She added that an improvement in SA’s visa situation and a ‘properly sorted’ KAZA UniVisa between the countries in the region, would also boost tourism.

She warned, however, that the high value of the US$ compared with other currencies could be challenging for Zimbabwe. “It is difficult for tourism here to cut costs in the face of high living expenses and the current uncertain political and economic environment.”

Source: Victoria Falls to see recovery in 2016 (02/02/16)

One of Africa’s Biggest Dams Is Falling Apart

Kariba Dam Troubles

By JACQUES LESLIE

Source: One of Africa’s Biggest Dams Is Falling Apart (2/2/16)

The new year has not been kind to the hydroelectric-dam industry. On January 11th, the New York Times reported that Mosul Dam, the largest such structure in Iraq, urgently requires maintenance to prevent its collapse, a disaster that could drown as many as five hundred thousand people downstream and leave a million homeless. Four days earlier, the energy minister of Zambia declared that Kariba Dam, which straddles the border between his country and Zimbabwe, holding back the world’s largest reservoir, was in “dire” condition. An unprecedented drought threatens to shut down the dam’s power production, which supplies nearly half the nation’s electricity.

The news comes as more and more of the biggest hydroelectric-dam projects around the world are being cancelled or postponed. In 2014, researchers at Oxford University reviewed the financial performance of two hundred and forty-five dams and concluded that the “construction costs of large dams are too high to yield a positive return.” Other forms of energy generation—wind, solar, and miniature hydropower units that can be installed inside irrigation canals—are becoming competitive, and they cause far less social and environmental damage. And dams are particularly ill-suited to climate change, which simultaneously requires that they be larger (to accommodate the anticipated floods) and smaller (to be cost-effective during the anticipated droughts).

Mosul Dam’s predicament is partly a result of the ongoing war; many maintenance workers have not returned there since August of 2014, when ISIS fighters briefly took control. (Iraqi and Kurdish forces soon regained it.) But the main issue is that, like many such dams, the project shouldn’t exist in the first place. Opened in 1986, it was built on unstable gypsum bedrock, requiring grout to be constantly injected into the foundation to prevent the dam’s collapse. That work has ceased. In 2006, long before ISIS began making headlines, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called Mosul Dam “the most dangerous dam in the world.”

Kariba’s difficulties are more complicated. It has been nearly incapacitated by ongoing drought, which has lowered the reservoir’s volume to twelve per cent of its usual capacity. But if the reservoir is refilled, the dam faces the possibility of collapse. It was built in the late nineteen-fifties, and in the years since water flowing through the dam’s six floodgates has carved a three-hundred-foot-deep pit, or plunge pool, at its base. The plunge pool extends to within a hundred and thirty feet of the dam’s foundation; if it reaches the foundation, the dam will collapse. That seems hard to imagine now, with the reservoir at a record-low level. But the Zambezi River Basin, on which the dam sits, is the most susceptible of Africa’s thirteen basins to exceptional droughts and floods, and climate change is intensifying both.

Kariba’s collapse, like Mosul’s, would constitute an epochal event in the history of energy development—the dam industry’s Chernobyl. The ensuing torrent would be four times bigger than the Zambezi’s biggest recorded flood, in 1958, and would release enough water to knock over another major dam three hundred miles downstream, in Mozambique. At least three million people live in the flood’s path; most would die or lose their crops or possessions. About forty per cent of the electricity-generating capacity of twelve southern African nations would be eliminated.

The dam, four hundred and twenty feet tall and nearly two thousand feet wide, was built with financing from the World Bank to provide power for the copper mines of what was then Northern Rhodesia. The designers intended to make the dam impervious to a one-in-ten-thousand-year flood, but their calculations were based on only three decades of Zambezi flow data—a period too short to permit credible forecasting. This flaw became apparent in 1957, when the site, still under construction, was hit with a flood bigger than the designers’ worst-case projection. The planners hurriedly enlarged the spillway, but in 1958 the project was hit by another flood, twice as big as the previous one, so the spillway was expanded again. More recent projections, cited by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, indicate that the Zambezi River Basin will experience still drier and more prolonged droughts and even bigger floods in years to come.

Since the nineteen-nineties, Kariba’s operators have been allowed to open only three of the dam’s six floodgates at a time, for fear of enlarging the plunge pool. If the reservoir fills to a dangerous level, the operators face two options: allow water to flow over the top of the dam and tumble down its face, threatening the foundation, or, more likely, open more than three floodgates, causing the plunge pool to expand. To head off a catastrophe, the World Bank and other international lenders agreed in November of 2014 to provide a loan of nearly three hundred million dollars to repair it, stating that the project requires “immediate attention.”

But “immediate” means decades, not years. “It takes a long time to carry out the necessary due diligence and secure the financing for a complex project like this,” Munyaradzi Munodawafa, the chief executive of the Zambezi River Authority, which operates Kariba, told me in an e-mail. “We’re looking at a fifteen- to twenty-year process, in which we are five years under way.” To repair the dam, workers will enlarge the plunge pool downstream, to reduce erosion near the foundation. But it’s not certain to work, and major flooding could occur before the repairs are completed.

The World Bank and other international financiers like dams because they seem to offer large-scale solutions to energy and water shortages. Kariba is just one of more than two thousand large dams in Africa; Zimbabwe, one of the world’s poorest nations, has at least two hundred and fifty-four. But maintaining a dam is expensive—and much less popular than building one. Even in affluent countries such as the United States—whose dam infrastructure is in sufficient disrepair to have earned a “D” rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers, in 2013—maintenance is often neglected; it’s not likely to fare better in impoverished, corruption-ridden countries such as Zimbabwe or Iraq. Dams can’t be drained, and dismantling them can be as costly as building them. It’s the trap of Industrial Age technology: once mechanized systems supplant natural ones, they must be managed in perpetuity, or else they break down.

Source: One of Africa’s Biggest Dams Is Falling Apart (2/2/16)