Jeal­ously guard envir­on­ment to sus­tain tour­ism says EMA

(Zimbabwe) The Envir­on­mental Man­age­ment Agency (EMA) has called on Zim­b­ab­weans to jeal­ously guard the coun­try’s nat­ural resources, warn­ing that a thriv­ing tour­ism industry can­not sur­vive without a healthy envir­on­ment.

Speak­ing on the side­lines of the recent United Nations Tour­ism con­gress in Vic­toria Falls, EMA Matabele­land North Pro­vin­cial man­ager Mrs Chipo Mpo­fuZuze said tour­ism in Zim­b­abwe is wholly depend­ent on the use of nat­ural assets such as water, veget­a­tion and biod­iversity.

“We can­not have a boom­ing tour­ism industry when we do not have the nat­ural resources. So what I’m see­ing or what I have learnt is that we are going to be called upon to jeal­ously guard our envir­on­ment so that we are able to sus­tain our tour­ism,” said Mrs Mpofu-Zuze.

The UN Tour­ism Con­gress, which brought together global play­ers, also high­lighted the role of women in tour­ism.

Mrs Mpofu-Zuze noted that envir­on­mental degrad­a­tion hits women hard­est because their daily duties, fetch­ing water, col­lect­ing fire­wood and basic agri­cul­ture all depend on a healthy envir­on­ment.

“If the envir­on­ment is degraded, it means our roles as women are com­prom­ised,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu-Zuze said the con­fer­ence had rein­forced a crit­ical les­son as pro­tect­ing the envir­on­ment now car­ries a tan­gible dol­lar value through tour­ism, which will make EMA’s work easier when per­suad­ing com­munit­ies to become stew­ards of nature.

“People have always asked, ‘why should I pro­tect the envir­on­ment?’ Yes, it gives me basic needs, but this con­fer­ence has brought to light that tour­ism is going to bring the dol­lar value to the need of pro­tect­ing the envir­on­ment,” she said.

“So whenever we are going out there, we are going to encour­age people to pro­tect the envir­on­ment and also to ven­ture into tour­ism as women, as girls, as every­one who has to do with pro­tect­ing the envir­on­ment.”

Mrs Mpofu-Zuze said EMA would now broaden its approach, put­ting value on pro­tec­tion against pol­lu­tion, land degrad­a­tion and invas­ive alien spe­cies.

“If we des­troy or if we allow our envir­on­ment to degrade, allow invas­ive spe­cies to grow, it means we are cut on the ‘busy city’ com­ing to an area full of lantana camara,” she warned.

“So it means people will be forced to remove spe­cies to improve spe­cificity. People will be encour­aged to pro­tect their wet­lands so that they can also attract more biod­iversity, and this will also help them attract tour­ists to our areas.”

Mrs Mpofu-Zuze stressed that the mes­sage goes bey­ond Vic­toria Falls or major towns.

“The other thing that also encour­aged me is we are not only talk­ing tour­ism in Vic­toria Falls, a town or another city, but we are talk­ing about tour­ism. So it means our nat­ural resources in the rural areas are going to have a basis to be pro­tec­ted even more, to be guarded gen­er­ously even more,” she said.

Turn­ing to gender, Mrs Mpo­fuZuze said empower­ing women in envir­on­mental pro­tec­tion and tour­ism had a mul­ti­plier effect.

“If you capa­cit­ate or empower a woman, you have empowered the com­munity, you have empowered the nation, you have empowered the whole world,” she said.

The agency has pledged to broaden its stake­holder par­ti­cip­a­tion and put meas­ur­able eco­nomic value on con­ser­va­tion, turn­ing envir­on­ment­al­ism from a duty into an oppor­tun­ity.

Source: Jeal­ouslyguard envir­on­ment to sus­tain tour­ism EMA (10/05/2026)

Victoria Falls river levels continue to drop

The Zambezi River Authority latest figures for Zambezi River levels (up to 11th May), recorded at Nana's Farm Hyrdrological Station (located on the north bank about 20 km above the Falls) show that river levels continue to drop, ending the period at 3,526 m3/s (against 2,773 m3/s at same date last year), with no sign of a second peak.

[click to open higher res version in new window]

See also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24/04/2026) Zambezi River levels at Victoria Falls experience early peak.

Read more on the hydrology of the Upper Zambezi and Victoria Falls on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

US$5 million project ends Victoria Falls water woes

 Government yesterday commissioned a US$5 million water reservoir project and two refuse collection trucks in Victoria Falls, ending years of water shortages that have plagued the resort city’s Mkhosana suburb.

The project, delivered by the City of Victoria Falls using internal resources, comprises a 5-megalitres ground reservoir and a 750-kilolitre elevated tank, alongside 12 kilometres of new pipelines, upgraded pump stations at Aerodrome, and new fire hydrants.

Officiating at the commissioning event, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Daniel Garwe, said the upgraded infrastructure would guarantee reliable water access for 25 000 residents.

“These reservoirs will ensure improved reliability and sustainable access to safe water for an estimated population of about 25 000 residents who, for long, had endured persistent water shortages due to inadequate storage capacity and rapid population growth,” said the minister.

The reservoirs form the first phase of the city’s broader US$18 million multi-phase Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.

The shift to a gravity-fed system means consistent water pressure across Mkhosana, ending the distress of direct pumping systems that failed during power outages. Residents who spoke to Zimpapers confirmed the transformation.

“For years, we woke up before dawn to fetch water. Now the taps run day and night. It feels like we are finally living in a real city,” said Mrs Nomsa Ndlovu from Mkhosana.
Another resident, Mr Tendai Sibanda, said the project had brought dignity back to the community.

“We used to go for days without water. You could not plan your day. Now we have an adequate supply, and we are grateful to the council and Government for listening to our cries,” he said.

Minister Garwe said the investment aligns with the National Development Strategy (NDS2) and President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of an empowered upper-middle-income economy.

“It’s our desire that all local authorities across the country emulate such efforts. I want to assert that Victoria Falls yakhiwa ngabahlali bayo,” he said.

Alongside the water infrastructure, the city commissioned two refuse trucks, a 15-cubic-metre unit procured by council and an 18-cubic-metre unit donated by African Sun Limited as part of its corporate social responsibility.

“This gesture is a shining example of the sound partnerships that can be forged between local authorities and the private sector for the benefit of our communities,” Minister Garwe said.

Victoria Falls Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube said the project had catapulted the city above national minimum service delivery standards.

“We have achieved 100 percent water coverage, which is above the 2026 target of 90 percent. For too long, the residents of our beloved city, particularly here in Mkhosana, have endured the heavy burden of water scarcity. Today, we turn that page,” said Mr Dube.

He said the city had also partnered with Eagle Heights, whose purchase of a stand directly funded the reservoirs.

The reservoirs now serve 3,696 households in Mkhosana, with capacity to support future growth as the tourism hub continues to expand.

Council has indicated it requires timely devolution fund support to sustain momentum on remaining projects, including road tarring, storm drains, and construction of Mosi 2 High School.

Source: US$5 million project ends Victoria Falls water woes (07/05/2026)

Conservationists Call Time On Illegitimate Tourism Developments At Victoria Falls

Conservation Campaign Group Call for Moratorium on Tourism Developments within Victoria Falls World Heritage Site and Removal of Recent Illegitimate Tourism Developments within the Site's 'No New Development Zone'

Keep Victoria Falls Wild (31st April 2026)

A new report by conservation campaign group Keep Victoria Falls Wild highlights increasing concerns over the management of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site and threat from tourism development, calling for a moratorium on all new developments within the Site and its surrounding Buffer Zone pending finalisation, and approval by UNESCO, of a new Joint Management Plan for the Site and repeats calls for the removal of recent controversial tourism developments within the Site's protected area.

The controversial Baines Restaurant, located within the Victoria Falls National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site 'no new development' zone

The report comes in the build up to the forthcoming 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, to be held in Busan, Republic of Korea over 19-29 July 2026 and recent submission of a new Draft Joint Plan for the management of the Site, submitted by the State Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe who share the management of the transboundary World Heritage Site.

The report highlights significant concerns over recent tourism developments on the southern, Zimbabwean, side of the Falls and within the World Heritage Site 'no new development zone' (HESZ) and in particular the lack of disclosure of these developments, and of recent tourism visitor figures, to UNESCO within recent State of Conservation Reports. This continued lack of disclosure follows specific and repeated requests from the World Heritage Committee for information relating to recent developments within the World Heritage Site.

The new Draft Joint Management Plan for the Site is also heavily criticised by conservationists for its delayed submission, contradictions, errors and missing details on key areas such as the management zonation for the Site and details of permitted/prohibited developments. The lack of detail on the zones comes after specific requests from the World Heritage Committee for the boundaries, zonation and buffer zone to be reviewed and clarified in the new document.

The report also identifies a growing list of wider issues and concerns in relation to the management of the Site before calling on the World Heritage Committee to reject the Draft Joint Management Plan submitted by the State Parties and request a final complete and consistent document as soon as possible, significantly calling for a moratorium on all tourism developments within the World Heritage Site and surrounding 500m Buffer Zone pending final submission, and approval by the Committee, of the revised Joint Plan and satisfactory resolution of a series of controversial tourism developments within and surrounding the Site.

In addition the report repeats calls for the cancellation of permits for recent illegitimate tourism developments issued by the Zimbabwe National Park Authority within the WHS HESZ and for all trace of these developments to be removed from the Site. This specifically relates to the recently constructed Baines Restaurant and ‘Rock Pool’ developments, as well as the proposed riverside ‘tree lodges’ development, reportedly to be managed under the InterContinental Hotel Group's exclusive Six Senses brand.

Finally the report recommends to the World Heritage Committee that the Site should be considered for immediate addition to the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger if the State Parties fail to adequately address these issues.

Download the full report: Keep Victoria Falls Wild (April 2026) Serious Concerns Over Management of Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (pdf, 1.3mb).

UNESCO hails Zambia, Zim joint efforts to safeguard Victoria Falls

 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has hailed the Zambian Government for preserving and safeguarding the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (VFWHS).

UNESCO General Conference President Kondker Talha, said Zambia had earned global recognition for its efforts and commitment to safeguarding one of the world's most treasured heritage sites.

Speaking after touring the site in Livingstone yesterday [3rd May], Mr Talha praised the National Heritage Conservation for effectively managing the facility. 

He also commended Zambia and Zimbabwe for their strong collaboration in preserving the site's outstanding universal value, describing it as a model of effective joint stewardship.

'I am particularly impressed by the collaboration between Zambia and Zimbabwe in preserving the outstanding universal value of the property,' he said.

The conference president who toured key sections of the falls, including the Eastern Cataracts on the Zambian side, called for strengthened efforts between the two countries in safeguarding the heritage site.

He said his visit to both Zambia and Zimbabwe further underscored the shared responsibility between the two neighbouring countries in managing the globally celebrated natural wonder, which was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

NHCC conservation officer John Zulu said the visit reaffirmed the strength of bilateral cooperation and provided an important platform to showcase ongoing conservation efforts.

Mr Zulu said such high-level engagements not only validated Zambia's conservation initiatives, but also enhanced international recognition and support for heritage preservation.

He said the continued protection of the falls remains critical, given its global significance as a shared natural asset.

'The visit highlights Zambia's growing reputation as a responsible custodian of natural heritage and reinforces its position on the global stage as a leader in sustainable tourism and conservation.' he said.

He said the commission was looking forward to more collaboration between the two neighbouring countries.

Source: UNESCO hails Zambia, Zim joint efforts to safeguard Victoria Falls (The Times of Zambia, 4th May 2026)

UNESCO com­mends Zam­bia, Zim­b­abwe ties

 

Talha impressed with coun­tries’pre­ser­va­tion of prop­erty

UNITED Nations Edu­ca­tional, Sci­entific and Cul­tural Organ­isa­tion (UNESCO) gen­eral con­fer­ence pres­id­ent Khondker Mohammad Talha has com­men­ded Zam­bia and Zim­b­abwe’s col­lab­or­a­tion in pre­serving the integ­rity and global sig­ni­fic­ance of the Vic­toria Falls.

He said this dur­ing a high-level visit to the Vic­toria Falls World Her­it­age Site.

The visit was under­taken to appre­ci­ate and assess the con­tin­ued efforts by the gov­ern­ments of Zam­bia and Zim­b­abwe in safe­guard­ing the site’s out­stand­ing uni­ver­sal value, in line with the oper­a­tional guidelines of the UNESCO World Her­it­age Con­ven­tion.

The high-level tour star­ted on the Zim­b­ab­wean side of the trans­bound­ary prop­erty and con­cluded in Zam­bia, demon­strat­ing the shared respons­ib­il­ity and coordin­ated man­age­ment of one of the world’s most cel­eb­rated nat­ural her­it­age sites.

Speak­ing after tour­ing key sec­tions of the site, includ­ing the East­ern Catar­act where the rain­forest is on the Zam­bian side, Mr Talha expressed admir­a­tion for the strong spirit of col­lab­or­a­tion between the two coun­tries in pre­serving the prop­erty.

“I am par­tic­u­larly impressed by the col­lab­or­a­tion between Zam­bia and Zim­b­abwe in pre­serving the out­stand­ing uni­ver­sal value of the prop­erty,” he said.

National Her­it­age Con­ser­va­tion Com­mis­sion con­ser­va­tion officer John Zulu noted that such vis­its reaf­firm the strength of bilat­eral cooper­a­tion and provide an import­ant plat­form to show­case the ongo­ing efforts towards sus­tain­able con­ser­va­tion and her­it­age man­age­ment.

He emphas­ised the sig­ni­fic­ance of the visit, stat­ing that such high­level engage­ments val­id­ate ongo­ing con­ser­va­tion ini­ti­at­ives while enhan­cing inter­na­tional recog­ni­tion and sup­port for her­it­age pre­ser­va­tion efforts in the region.

“The visit fur­ther high­lights the global import­ance of the Mosi-oaTunya/Vic­toria Falls as a shared nat­ural asset requir­ing con­tin­ued joint stew­ard­ship,” he said, accord­ing to a state­ment issued by the National Her­it­age Con­ser­va­tion Com­mis­sion com­mu­nic­a­tion unit.

Source: UNESCO com­mends Zam­bia, Zim­b­abwe ties (Zambia Daily Mail, 4th May 2026)

First Capital finalises US$30m Kingdom Hotel disposal to ASB

 First Capital Bank Limited has completed the long-awaited disposal of Makasa Sun, drawing the curtain on a US$30 million transaction and handing control of the iconic Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls to United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based ASB Hospitality.

The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange-listed lender announced that the transaction had been successfully concluded following months of regulatory approvals and shareholder cautionary statements dating back to September last year.

In a notice signed by company secretary Ms Sarudzai Binha, the bank said, “The Board of Directors of First Capital Bank Limited wishes to advise shareholders and the investing public that the disposal transaction has been successfully completed.”

The company also confirmed the withdrawal of the cautionary announcement that had remained in place during negotiations and regulatory processes.

Shareholders were initially advised in September 2025 that the bank and its co-shareholder were engaged in discussions regarding the disposal of their interest in Makasa Sun.

The transaction marks one of the more significant hospitality-sector acquisitions in Zimbabwe in recent years and reinforces growing Gulf investor interest in the country’s tourism assets, particularly in Victoria Falls and Harare.

Under the agreement, ASB Hospitality acquired the entire shareholding in Makasa Sun from First Capital Bank and the First Capital Bank Staff Pension Fund. Makasa Sun’s principal asset is the Kingdom Hotel, one of Victoria Falls’ best-known hospitality properties.

The finalisation of the transaction follows exchange control approval granted earlier this year by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, while competition clearances and tax approvals were also required before the transaction could be finalised.

Earlier this year, the bank confirmed progress on the deal, saying, “The transaction has now received exchange control approval and is awaiting the remaining regulatory approvals.”

The parties had agreed that ASB Hospitality would pay US$30 million for the asset, with an initial US$3 million deposit having already been placed in escrow pending completion. The balance of US$27 million would be released once all conditions precedent had been satisfied.

The deal adds to ASB Hospitality’s expanding footprint in Zimbabwe’s hospitality industry. The UAE investor acquired the Meikles Hotel in Harare in 2019, which was later rebranded as Hyatt Regency The Meikles Harare following refurbishment and repositioning efforts.

Its latest acquisition comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s tourism industry continues to rebound strongly after the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

International arrivals and tourism receipts have been recovering rapidly, aided by aggressive destination marketing, improved regional air connectivity and Government-backed investment incentives.

Victoria Falls, in particular, has become a focal point for international hospitality capital, benefiting from its status as Zimbabwe’s premier tourism destination and its strategic positioning within the regional safari and conferencing market.

Industry analysts say foreign investor appetite for high-end tourism assets has remained resilient despite broader macroeconomic pressures affecting the country.

The transaction also provides First Capital Bank with an opportunity to unlock value from a non-core investment while strengthening liquidity and capital flexibility at a time when banks are increasingly focusing on core financial services operations.

At the time the transaction was initially announced, Makasa Sun had a consolidated net asset value of approximately US$27,98 million. First Capital Bank held a 50 percent economic interest in the company valued at around US$15 million, with the balance owned by the bank’s staff pension fund.

The bank had previously classified Makasa Sun as a dormant entity and did not consolidate it into group financial statements, suggesting limited operational integration with its banking activities.

First Capital had also indicated earlier this year that the disposal was not expected to materially affect earnings, headline earnings per share or net asset value, aside from transaction-related costs and taxation adjustments.

Source: First Capital finalises US$30m Kingdom Hotel disposal to ASB (03/05/2026)