Visionary tourism entrepreneur charms President

 Prosper Ndlovu in Victoria Falls

ZIMBABWEAN women should gain inspiration from aggressive entrepreneurs like Dr Matifadza Nyazema who has fought hard to establish one of the country’s top locally-owned hospitality facilities in the resort town of Victoria Falls.

The official opening of the Mbano Manor Hotel here yesterday by President Mnangagwa was historic and iconic, as the unique luxury boutique hotel was conceptualised and developed by a black female Zimbabwean.

The launch of the US$8 million facility was part of the critical programme by the President in launching the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy.

The new hotel is an all-suite premium luxury property that was completed early this year and comprises of 19 suites, including a masterpiece forest villa.

The uniqueness of the investment lies in the sustainable co-existence of the hotel with nature. The hotel is located within the ancient teak forest of the Zambezi National Park and only two trees were taken down in its development, ensuring that the natural forest remains intact.

Its exterior design embraces the effortless countryside yet modern taste defined by large bungalow architecture, open flowing public areas and imposing verandas.

“This indeed is the most magnificent place I have ever been. Most importantly we are both in the bush as well as in the first world,” said President Mnangagwa amid applause from the gathering, as he officially opened the business after leading a ministerial delegation on a tour of the unique facility.

“Women of Zimbabwe have raised the bar above. It is pleasing that this mammoth investment was put together by a local company, Matizimunda Investments.

“I commend the admirable high standard of workmanship and products that are on show on this facility. This will undoubtedly help attract the target market and clientele for the hotel.”

The President described the facility as “elegant” saying it was gratifying that Dr Nyazema in her design sought to maximise investment that is socially and enviromentally friendly. But who is Dr Nyazema and what inspires her?

She is an award winning and tourism and hotel professional, with over 30 years of hospitality experience including involvement in global travel companies and hotel start-ups across several countries.

“I have travelled to over 60 countries during my career and stayed at some of the best signature hotels in the world.

“What you see as Mbano Hotel today is the culmination of this experience, yet engineered by an expert design and architecturial team to blend with our natural environment. Attention to detail defines the Mbano experience,” said the eloquent and bold Dr Nyazema. “We complement the existing accommodation product in and around Victoria Falls. Our aim is to open up new and additional markets for the benefit of the destination and the country.”

One of the trends driving the future of luxury travel is the shift in values from the material to the experiential.

“Rather than saving up to buy luxurious possessions, people are choosing to spend their money on experience. Mbano Manor is positioning itself to take up this opportunity in Zimbabwe and the region,” said Dr Nyazema, who is a devoted Christian and is married to Professor Norman Nyazema

Another milestone for the hotel is that local pension funds funded its development, over and above the initial injection of feasibility funding that was provided by an international investor. “We applaud and are grateful for the demonstration of confidence by local institutions. In particular, Hippo Valley and Triangle Pension Funds, who endorsed our vision considering this was an entrpreneurial venture,” she said.

“Additional funding was also later obtained from the Standard Chartered Pension fund, and from two Minerva pension funds.”

Dr Nyazema said the journey to deliver a world class product was not easy and she and her family faced many challenges but remained focused on their goal. Belief in her vision was key to her success. “We didn’t compromise on developing the hotel product that was initially envisaged. My research and experience in tourism convinced me that there is a market gap in the luxury boutique product at Victoria Falls that Mbano can fill. Several people said this idea would not fly because the site is not next to the Zambezi River nor the Rainforest. My global perspective said it was possible,” she said.

Dr Nyazema paid tribute to her family and their small staff complement for the support towards realising the vision as well as Governement for assisting in making key breakthroughs.

Source: Visionary tourism entrepreneur charms President (07/08/20)

Vic Falls tops in fresh US$500m tourism investments

 Prosper Ndlovu in Victoria Falls

THE country’s prime resort destination, Victoria Falls, leads the pack in attracting investment into the tourism sector, which has attracted close to US$500 million since the coming in of the New Dispensation in 2017.

While other parts of the country also present huge tourism potential riding on their rich natural and historic heritage, Victoria Falls alone has attracted about US$200 million investments so far this year.

This emerged during President Mnangagwa’s tour of the tourism facilities here where he officially launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy. The President also commissioned the 19-suite luxurious Mbano Manor Hotel built using local funding. He also visited the massive 146-room Palm Lodge facility, which is still under construction and is estimated to cost close to US$24 million.

Despite the disruptive Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, President Mnangagwa said he was excited that tourism infrastructure projects in Victoria Falls were progressing well. The visiting delegation observed that at Palm River Hotel workers were busy building while Mbano Manor Hotel has been completed and is ready for business.

“It is encouraging that despite the Covid-19 pandemic having had negative impact on other economic sectors, investments in the tourism sector here in Victoria Falls, are progressing well.

“I have been told by the Minister of Environment and Tourism (Mangaliso Ndlovu), that currently investments here in Victoria Falls his year are around US$200 million,” said President Mnangagwa while officiating at Mbano Manor Hotel.

“I am informed that at least six other hotels and lodges in Victoria Falls are being upgraded and expanded.

“This is applauded and will increase our capacity to host not only tourists, but also meetings, conferences and exhibitions.”

Minister Ndlovu, concurred in his address saying the tourism sector, and Victoria Falls as a destination in particular, has made great strides in terms of investment.

“The estimated value of tourism investments in 2018 and 2019 were US$100 million and US$193 million, respectively. This is inclusive of greenfield investments, upgrading and refurbishments of existing tourism facilities,” he said.

“Since the dawn of the new era in November 2017, we have witnessed an increase in new tourism facilities around the country and Mbano Manor Hotel, which is a premium luxury boutique hotel, is a new luxury offering to this growing list.

“We are expecting more and more new facilities to be opened very soon in Victoria Falls, as there is commendable tourism related infrastructure development taking place in this town.”

The launch of Mbano Manor Hotel coincided with the launch of the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy by President Mnangagwa.

Tourism infrastructure development has been highlighted as the backbone for the growth of the sector and the economy at large.

In that regard Minister Ndlovu said his ministry was grateful for the support rendered to the tourism players by Government through investment incentives such as duty exemption facilities.

With the anticipated increase in tourist arrivals after Covid-19 pandemic, he said an increase in accommodation room stock is inevitable.

“Of interest about developments in the tourism sector, is that more and more Zimbabweans are now involved in big and upmarket investments, complementing Government efforts to encourage domestic investments and leveraging on available resources,” he said.

“With this state-of-the-art facility, there is no doubt that we now have great potential to unlock a valuable market which has not been taped over the years.”

Riding on enabling infrastructure such as the new Victoria Falls International Airport, the country expects international airlines from major source markets servicing the resort town.

Stakeholders in the tourism sector have also said that the renewed confidence in destination Zimbabwe through Government’s international engagement efforts is expected to spur tourist arrivals, hence an increase in tourism investment by both local and foreign investors cannot be overemphasised.

Given the need for more investments, industry experts have also appealed to pension funds, insurance companies and other institutional investors to also consider investing in tourism facilities and infrastructure with assurance that such investments have a fair return in the medium to long term.

Source: Vic Falls tops in fresh US$500m tourism investments (07/08/20)

Mnangagwa set to officially open new five-star hotel in Vic Falls

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa is this Thursday expected to officially open the five-star boutique Mbano Manor Hotel, the highlight of his tour to the resort town.

The opening of the US$8 million hospitality facility comes after months of fighting with Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) by the owners over $1,7 million duty charged for imported designer furniture.

According to an itinerary from the tourism ministry, Mnangagwa is expected to launch the country’s Tourism Recovery Strategy in the morning at the Victoria Falls Rainforest.

He will then tour Victoria Falls airport where a ‘Sanitiser Booth’ has been erected at the international terminal entrance as the industry prepares to welcome tourists post Covid-19.

In the afternoon, Mnangagwa will launch the 18-all suites luxury facility which includes in its accommodation, a presidential suite and catering for high end tourists.

Posting on its Facebook page, leading Victoria Falls tour operator Wild Horizons said: “Good news coming out of Victoria Falls this Monday. The sanitizer booth at the entrance of the international terminal at Victoria Falls Airport is now complete and waiting to welcome guests back to the region when the time is right.

“The booth at the domestic terminal is currently being installed and will be completed by the end of the day. We are so looking forward to welcoming our guests back.”

The booth is part of the country’s strategy to revive tourism which was grounded by Covid-19.

The country expects to use domestic tourism for the rebound.

The launch at the Rainforest which recently opened after more than three months closure, is expected to set the tone for start of domestic tourism, where operators and hospitality industry players are expected to come up with rates favourable to locals.

As for Mbano Manor Hotel, owned by the rich Dr Martha Matifadza Nyazema and her family, the facility’s official opening has been on the cards since last year when the bulk of construction work was completed.

It is located on the edge of Zambezi River in the Zambezi National Park, about 4km outside Victoria Falls central business district.

It targets high-end and wealthy international tourists especially hunters and celebrities seeking effortless safari experience and a quiet secluded private stay.

Its proprietor Dr Nyazema had made an appeal to Tourism Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu in December last year for help to force Zimra release designer furniture imported from South Africa for the hotel.

Zimra was demanding $1,7 million duty upfront at that time which Nyazema had argued was exorbitant.

The Minister had promised to attend to the issue.

Chizema confirmed that the facility had been finally furnished.

“We are ready for official launch on Thursday,” she said.

Rooms cost between US$700 and US$1 900 per night, way above the presidential suite at Victoria Falls Hotel which is goes for US$1 800, and other high end hotels-Old Drift Lodge owned by Wild Horizons and the $15 million Palm River Lodge built through Ilala Lodge and Great Plains partnership.

Since January, Mbano Manor Hotel has been offering discounted rates of US$500 per room. Standard rooms range between US$100 and US$400 in the resort town.

Bulawayo High Court judge, Maxwell Takuva is one of the high profile people who have stayed at the hotel, as he was booked there during the Hwange High Court circuit in March.

Source: Mnangagwa set to officially open new five-star hotel in Vic Falls (06/08/20)

Baboons switch off Vic Falls power

 Victoria Falls: Residents and businesses endured almost four hours of a power cut Monday afternoon after a troop of baboons tampered with ZESA infrastructure at the town’s main substation, causing power to trip.

The blackout also affected water supply as the resort town’s water is pumped directly from the pump station to users since there is no reservoir.

Some shops, including TM Pick n Pay were also caught unawares and forced to close before 3pm, probably because they had no standby generators or fuel.

Under lockdown regulations announced recently, businesses are permitted to open between 9am and 3pm.

After months of uninterrupted electricity, residents were shocked to find they had been switched off just after 12 noon, leaving the whole of Victoria Falls town including residential areas, central business district (CBD) and industrial area without supply.

This was after one of the baboons got trapped at a substation along Pioneer road in the industrial area. It was not clear if the mammal was electrocuted.

Power was restored at 4pm.

In statement, Zesa Victoria Falls office manager Nhlanhla Mkwananzi said the baboons had caused damage to sections of the premises.

“We (ZEDTC) have a fault at our substation caused by baboons and some equipment damages incurred. Work to restore supplies is in progress,” he said.

Sources said a baboon was in near electric shock as it got trapped thereby causing power to trip.

This is not the first time baboons have tampered with electricity infrastructure at the same Zesa property.

A similar incident occurred in 2015 when a baboon touched a live wire and got injured by an electric shock resulting in a three-hour power blackout.

The agitated troop blocked Zesa electricians from accessing the substation to restore electricity.

It also charged at people as it temporarily blocked Pioneer road to protect its member that lay motionless for some time after the electric shock.

Zimparks rangers were called in to disperse the troop after which electricians restored power.

A fortnight ago, a section of another Zesa substation in the resort town was partly burnt and it was suspected that baboons had tampered with the wires.

While baboons’ presence is not new or unusual in Victoria Falls streets, the wild animals have, since the start of lockdown, been freely roaming around without disturbance by humans who are largely locked indoors.

Closed offices have been noted to be characterised by baboons poo, with the species that is known for scavenging for food left-overs in bins and sometimes stealing from cars and houses, resorting back to nature and eating pods from jacaranda trees in town because of lack of food owing to limited human activity and closure of shops and restaurants.

Source: Baboons switch off Vic Falls residents, business (04/08/20)

Zimbabwe slated for live elephant export in contravention of treaty

Earlier this month, Niger and Burkino Faso presented CITES with a new report that detailed Zimbabwe’s gross violation of a COP18 resolution, by its capture and sale of 32 very young, not fully weaned elephants to China in October last year.

The report says that “by any reasonable metric, the conditions of the transfer and housing of the Zimbabwean elephants are demonstrably inhumane” and “the export of 32 live elephants by Zimbabwe in October 2019 not only contravened the will of the CITES Parties, it undermined the good faith and the spirit of the Convention.”

THE TREATMENT OF THE ELEPHANTS

Further harrowing details received of what has become of the elephants, include the pachyderms being trained as circus elephants by mahouts using cruel training methods.

In August last year at COP18 in Geneva, in an historic move, CITES members voted to prohibit the removal of African elephants from their natural or historic ranges except under extraordinary circumstances.

Additionally, according to the CITES resolution, conditions in any ex-situ destination for live African elephants, should be fully equivalent to their social and ecological environment in their wild native ecosystems and those involving the least disruption to social groupings and their natural, normal behaviour.  

Also vital is a non-binding guidance for determining whether a proposed recipient of a living specimen, was “suitably equipped to house and care for it”.

COP18 also expressly recognised that elephants “are highly social animals and that the removal of elephants from their social groups disrupts while populations and has detrimental effects on the physical and social well-being of elephants removed from these groups”.

But the CITES report says that: “Based on this guidance and the available literature and information on the housing conditions of zoos in China in general, there is no publicly available evidence suggesting that the safari park in Shanghai which received the 32 young elephants from Zimbabwe in October 2019 can be considered as suitably equipped to house and care for live elephants.”

The report says that analysis of video footage from quarantine facilities in China show the elephants each alone in small enclosed barred cells.

“The cells have bare concrete floors and there are no provisions make for their comfort and well-being, nor any means of environmental enrichment.”

And recent photographic evidence shows the elephants have been undergoing inhumane training by mahouts, to prepare them for entertainment use.

COP18 was perhaps the first time that the convention has recognised the importance of welfare in conservation. If it is complied with, African elephants can  virtually never leave their home terrain, which could put paid to the trade in live elephants.

FLYING TO CHINA

But despite the August vote, Zimbabwe ignored the resolution, arguing that it was technically not in force and the elephants were flown to China on 19 October last year in contravention of a court order and Zimbabwe’s own constitution.

The elephants were originally captured from Hwange Game Reserve in 2018 and were held in pens near Hwange’s main camp before being shipped to China on 19 October, 2019. Five of the elephants were not loaded on the Saudi transport plane due to health reasons and are believed to have died. The animals were then flown to China via Saudi Arabia to Shanghai.

Previously, in June 2019 the Secretary General of CITES, Ivonne Higuero, attended the Wildlife Economy Summit in Victoria Falls and visited the captured elephants at Hwange game reserve. 

At a press conference right after she had visited the elephants in their holding pens, Higuero said she did not believe that any of the elephants being exported were babies, as some had tusks.

She added, “Elephants start growing their permanent tusks at a year old.”   

She said that previous secretariats and the Zimbabwean management and scientific authorities as well as the previous CITES Secretariat had visited the zoos in China and declared the destinations as “appropriate and acceptable”. She however said she would consider evidence to the contrary.

She endorsed the export only to have her decision overruled two months later at COP18. According to a November 2019 report in the Journal of African Elephants on Higuero’s role in the export of the elephants, she had dropped the established protocol of her office when she endorsed the sale.

“Her endorsement was seen as an attempt to influence decisions that for the past year and a half at been debated in a Working Group of the CITES Animals Committee’’, it commented.

What was more tragic, was that her ignorance of basic elephant biology had sealed the fate of the 27 elephants that eventually were condemned to a life of misery in China.

Despite Zimbabwe’s constitutional constraints, between 2012 and 2019, Zimbabwe has exported 140 juvenile elephants for China. To date, 22 of these young elephant calves have died. More have died during capture and in Zimbabwe Parks’ holding facilities.

Michele Pickover director of EMS foundation says she believes that CITES is the lowest common denominator when it comes to its legislation.

“CITES are dragging their heels. They have not even discussed what the definition of a zoo is. They are not fit for purpose. We have already lost 70% of animal species. All their technical solutions and resolutions are not enforceable. It is like hitting a brick wall.”

The latest CITES report says, that if it is agreed that the 2019 export of the Hwange elephants do not meet the conditions clearly laid down in the guidelines agreed at COP18, the next step will be to return them to Zimbabwe where they can be rehabilitated before being returned to the wild.

But Audrey Delsink of Humane Society International feels that this is unlikely.

“The level of trauma they have experienced has been huge. First they were captured, torn from their herd and kept in Bomas in Hwange for a year where they formed bonds with the other elephants, then they were flown to China and separated from each other. It is excessively cruel and one does not know whether rehabilitation is possible,” she said.

Source: 

Zimbabwe slated for live elephant export in contravention of treaty (04/08/20)

More on this story: 

Confusion as Zimbabwe promises review of elephant exports amidst global condemnation (22/01/18)

Zimbabwe Elephant Capture Petition attracts over a Quarter-of-a-Million (20/01/18)

Elephant calves captured in Hwange exported to China via Victoria Falls Airport (3/1/18)

35 elephants captured from Hwange on a 'Flight to Hell' (27/12/16)

See also (external links): 

Exclusive footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos (03/10/17) The Guardian, UK

Zimbabwe ships live elephants to wildlife parks in China (23/12/16)

Zimbabwe National Elephant Management Plan (2015-2020) 

Further Reading (from this blog): 

Zimbabwe vows to export elephants despite criticism, seeks cash for conservation (07/05/15)

80 elephant calves captured from wild as Zimbabwe goes ahead with export plans (10/02/15)

Zimbabwe to sell excess elephants (08/01/15)

Zimbabwe’s baby elephants getting sold to China zoos (28/11/14)

Zimbabwe: 50 people killed in human-wildlife conflict this year

Fifty people have been killed while 40 others were injured, some permanently, since January as human-wildlife conflicts continue to escalate.

This is a sharp rise in such cases compared to all of last year when 38 people were killed.

Elephants accounted for 50 percent of the killings followed by crocodiles at 40 percent, and lions and buffaloes at 10 percent respectively
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo told The Herald last week that the spike in human-wildlife conflicts was worrying, adding they were caused by deepening water shortages and overpopulation resulting in the animals destroying their habitats and moving into areas where people live.

He predicted that such cases would worsen between now and November as water shortages deepen.

“The animals are not only a danger to humans, but their habitat as well. Apart from water shortages, there is over population, which can only be addressed by translocating the animals but the process requires a lot of money, which we do not have at the moment,” said Mr Farawo.

Last week, an elderly Hwange man was killed by an elephant while on his way to fetch cattle. Last month a mentally challenged man in Victoria Falls was trampled to death by an elephant.

Victoria Falls raised concern over the tragedy and implored the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) to deal with the problem.
The man used to walk on the streets of the resort town scavenging for food and was attacked by the elephant late in the afternoon as he walked near the National Railways of Zimbabwe train station.

He died on the spot in full view of passing residents.

Source:  50 people killed in human-wildlife conflict (03/08/20)

5 000 Vic Falls Children Go Hungry As Feeding Scheme Is Suspended

ABOUT 5 000 vulnerable children in Victoria Falls went without food Friday after the planned nationwide protests on the day saw the suspension of a feeding scheme that has been running for the past two weeks.

The Covid-19 local taskforce initiated a feeding scheme early this month targeting to feed about 9 000 vulnerable children in the country’s tourism capital with hot lunches from Monday to Friday.

The number was brought down to 5 000 as the target.

However, the vulnerable children were left hungry Friday after the feeding scheme was forced to cancel due to a lockdown and residents’ travel restrictions

In a statement, the local taskforce said police on patrol Thursday banned the feeding scheme.

“Dear all! We are not conducting feeding programme at the request of ZRP,” the taskforce said.

The feeding takes place every Monday to Friday with the exception of weekends and there are seven feeding points at schools and churches in Mkhosana and Chinotimba high-density locations.

Some children who had missed the message went to feeding points and found no one while other parents responded angrily, castigating the organisers of the botched protests for disrupting the scheme.

“Today (Friday) our children are not going to get free food from the seven feeding points dotted around Victoria Falls because of this day. This is not right and our children will starve,” one parent complained after learning the free lunch would not be available.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 taskforce has made an appeal for more donations to continue with the programme.

“We need to have a common goal to continue fund-raising efforts to support this. We need constant supplies of food and other materials such as detergents, and roofing sheets to construct foodsheds at feeding points,” said the taskforce in the statement.

Targeted are infants to high school students and is meant to cushion them from hunger as most of their families are struggling to provide daily decent meals.

In the past, Victoria Falls was not on the international food aid radar because of its once flourishing tourism industry. However, the demise of the sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic has left thousands of children exposed to hunger.

This is because the pandemic has rendered more than 90% of tourism workers jobless as the majority of operators, hotels and lodges terminated contracts of workers because of lack of business.

Victoria Falls now needs food assistance like never before, with some adults also turning up to beg for food meant for minors from infants to high school.

The taskforce said after feeding 500 children on the first day on July 14, the number had grown to more than 5 000 per day and a cumulative of 39 934 last Thursday.

Numbers have been steadily rising since the first day with some parents accompanying their children. The minors are given lunch consisting of sadza or rice with cabbage or beans and coleslaw, as well as nutritional porridge for malnourished babies.

Source: 5 000 Vic Falls Children Go Hungry As Feeding Scheme Is Cancelled (01/08/20)