Wheel Deal Paints a Picture

A Blot on the Landscape

Tourist development in Zambia threatens Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

Wheel Deal Causes a Spin

A proposal to develop a tourist observation wheel overlooking the Falls on the north bank has raised serious concerns over the future status of the Victoria Falls/Mosi-oa-Tunya World Heritage Site (WHS).

The development, presented by a Chinese investor, Ju Wenbin (one of China's richest men), first hit the headlines in 2017 with controversy over a proposed site selected in Livingstone town. More recently, in June this year, it became clear that the development was targeting land within the World Heritage Site itself.

Double Deals

In early November 2017 it emerged that a Chinese investor had apparently sealed an agreement with the Zambian government to develop an observation viewing wheel, described as a "Spin-Sational Ferris Wheel similar to that at Disneyland," (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 7 Nov 2017) on the north bank of the Falls.

Examples of Ferris wheels similar to the one proposed for the Victoria Falls

In a deal which surprised local traders and tourism representatives, the project was given the use of a plot of land in the centre of town, part of the Mukuni Park and currently occupied by independent Mukuni curio traders. Government sources confirmed to journalists that the investor had been given permission to remove traders from the site to pave way for construction works.

“We have been instructed to give land at the Victoria Falls by the government. The instructions were sent to the Ministry of Tourism from State House. The named Chinese investor (Ju Wenbin) the CEO of China-Africa Cotton Development Limited was even taken on a conducted tour of the Falls accompanied by some directors in the Ministry of Tourism recently, the source said

“The source added that the Department of Wildlife and Zambia Environmental Management Agency had not been involved in the land allocation which would have required an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in normal circumstances.

“'We informed the government about the dangers of this development with UNESCO, but it seems the PF leadership is in a compromised situation,' the source added." (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 4 Nov 2017)

In recent years Zambia has repeatedly supported tourism development proposals which UNESCO have identified as unsuitable and incompatible with the World Heritage Site status of the Falls, including repeated proposals for a tethered observation balloon, a cable-car facility into the gorge below the Falls and a new hotel development adjoining the site.

In 2012 UNESCO had reiterated its position that any tethered balloons close to the property will adversely impact its visual integrity, and urged the States Parties not to authorise any tethered balloon or other tall structures which would be visible on the skyline within the vicinity of the Falls. (UNESCO, 2012 - Decisions 36 COM 7B.7, Paragraph 6). 

The development of the curio traders site in Livingstone Town appears, however, to have been a distraction from main target for the developers - a site overlooking the Eastern Cataract and within the National Park and World Heritage Site 

In 2017 UNESCO recorded 

"Noting with significant concern that construction of a Ferris wheel is proposed within a high ecologically sensitive zone of the Eastern Cataract inside the property, which would be incompatible with the permitted infrastructural development as prescribed in the JIMP, and which will likely have a significant detrimental impact on the OUV of the property, urges the State Parties to not permit the project." (UNESCO, 2017 - Decisions 41 COM 7B.22, Paragraph 5)

Representatives of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management were quoted a threatening ‘tourism war’ over the plans, which they felt clearly breached UNESCO World Heritage Site development guidelines (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 4 Nov 2017).

“Our superiors in Harare have said they will not sit idle and see the Victoria Falls getting de-registered as a WHS. They have informed us that we need to be ready for ‘war’ against Zambia, it’s going to be a tough tourism war and Zambia is bound to lose,” the wildlife official said.

He said Zimbabwe was not ready to lose the Victoria Falls heritage status due to Chinese developments which would be against UNESCO regulations." (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 7 Nov 2017)

Local representations, led by Chief Mukuni, successfully campaigned against the sale of the land occupied by Mukuni curio traders.

Threat to World Heritage Site Status

In June 2020 it emerged that a new deal had been done to secure land within the ZESCO hydroelectric facilities on the north bank of the Falls - and within the World Heritage Site.

In April ZESCO authorised the surveying of a section of land (identified as Lot 473/M) by agents for Victoria Falls Eye Ltd within the ZECSO concession above the Eastern Cataract, part of the supporting infrastructure for the Victoria Falls Hydro-electric power facility.

An aerial view of the Victoria Falls, with the ZESCO facilities shown bottom left

Correspondence from Livingstone town clerk, Getrude Chilufya Chibiliti, dated 29 April, informed the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) in that the council had been requested by the Ministry of Tourism and Arts through its tourism development officer based in Livingstone to give consent for the subdivision of Lot 473/M.

“An investor, Victoria Falls Eye Limited, has shown interest in constructing the Ferris Wheel on the subdivided portion of land. In view of the above, council wishes to engage your organisation as a stakeholder of the site and request a consent letter in order to proceed with the proposed subdivision,” Chibiliti requested.

"NHCC, in letters to Ju Wenbin and the council dated April 27 and 29 respectively did not object to the subdivision of the land but indicated:

“Take note that the area…falls within the Musi-oa-Tunya National Park/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site. In this regard, all activities and planned tourism facilities must conform to, or be compatible with the UNESCO World Heritage Convention Rules and Regulations governing the area.” (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 17 June 2020)

The plot of land includes employee housing, a church, bus station and market, with ZESCO issuing three-month eviction notices to about 22 employees at the end of April.

"Zesco in an eviction notice dated April 29 demanded that people leave the area so as to have the properties demolished as they were in a national park against the wildlife Act Number 14 of 2015." (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 17 June 2020)

Chief Mukuni again raised concerns over the deal

“I saw the eviction notice and later discovered that a church and a bus station are also to be demolished. If this act to demolish Sacred Heart Catholic Church is not demonic, then what is? The whole programme is a government plan and Zesco is being used as a smokescreen because no one can say no to what State House says. They are giving in to a Chinese, disregarding Zambians. We have a market and a bus station in the area and these are so to be demolished…I wonder what UNESCO will do to us if they find out that the Victoria Falls is yet again under threat,” he said.

“UNESCO can de-register the site from the World Heritage list and this can cause some huge diplomatic problems between us and Zimbabwe...”

“The other thing is that government through Zesco did stop a Hungarian national from setting up a balloon project for aerial viewing of the falls and the man now intends to take legal action against Zesco,” said Mukuni." (Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs, 6 June 2020).

UNESCO have yet to comment publicly on the new proposal.