New hotels for Victoria Falls to boost realisation of US$5 billion tourism economy

THE prime tourism city of Victoria Falls is witnessing massive infrastructure development, a major boost to the country’s tourism sector, which aims to achieve US$5 billion tourism economy by 2025.

Under the Second Republic, the city continues to attract increased investments in new facilities.

The tourism industry is one of the key foreign currency earners in the country and employs thousands of people along the value chain.

Tourism players have described the developments as a sign of growing investor confidence in the country in response to comprehensive economic reforms being implemented by President Mnangagwa.

In 2020, the President launched the National Tourism Recovery and Growth Strategy anchored on Zimbabwe’s vision to be a prime international tourist destination based on the judicious and sustainable exploitation of the unique assets of nature, culture, heritage, and the built environment.

The strategy is informed by the Government’s Vision 2030 to become an upper middle-income economy characterised by increased investment, and decent jobs.

The high growth target of this strategy seeks to achieve a US$5 billion tourism economy and Victoria Falls is a strategic destination whose operations have a huge bearing on the attainment of that target.

The city and its environs is the gateway into Zimbabwe and developments, especially in the tourism sector, help build a positive image of the country as well as position Victoria Falls as a world-class destination.

The Chronicle news crew yesterday observed several structures, at various stages of completion, being built. A majority of the projects are being implemented by locals from different sectors of the economy who have decided to venture into tourism.

There is a three-storey hotel under construction, which is located in the central business district and it is at roof level. A top lawyer from Harare is implementing the facility, which is set to have a shopping complex and three separate structures each with three floors.

Along Reynard Road in the city’s low-density suburb, a massive US$1,8 million 36-roomed hotel is taking shape with the apartments having already been roofed. The project is being implemented by a local businessman and farmer Mr Knowledge Dzimbanhete.

There are several lodges concentrated along Old Kazungula Road where construction work is underway. One facility with more than 10 rooms is almost complete including another with several apartments and it is already for opening.

The ongoing developments dovetail Government plans to transform Victoria Falls into a conferencing capital, with a multi-purpose convention centre, top-notch facilities such as five-star hotels, a medical centre, a university, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces camp, and sporting facilities among others.

The growth taking place in Victoria Falls is within the framework of the Victoria Falls-Hwange-Binga Special Economic Zone, which seeks to integrate the broader tourism economy with agriculture and mining as well as the rich natural environment to promote eco-tourism activities.

In an interview, Mr Dzimbanhete, said he hopes to open the hotel next year.

“This has been about perseverance and confidence. We are bringing in a 38-roomed hotel which should be open in April next year. Upon completion, about US$1,8 million would have been invested into facility,” he said.

President Mnangagwa conferred city status to Victoria Falls in December 2019, making it the youngest city in the country and a fertile ground for investment.

Plans are underway to build Masue City, which will have a convention and conference centre, five-star hotels, medical facilities and shopping malls to make Victoria Falls a conference capital.

In 2020 the Second Republic established the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, the only United States dollar-denominated bourse in the region as part of efforts to implement the SEZ and the counter has since attracted 14 listings in its first three years.

Government wants to transform Victoria Falls into a little Vegas with state-of the art facilities and infrastructure that is commensurate with a city.

This includes establishing firms outside the tourism sector, with state-of-the-art medical facilities also coming in to promote medical tourism.

Several hotels including Palm River Hotel, Mbano Manor Hotel, Zambezi Boutique, Nkosi, Guest Lodge, Mpala Jena and others were built during the first five years of the Second Republic.

Government has also been upgrading transport infrastructure to facilitate travel either by road or air into Victoria Falls where a number of airlines are also angling on flying into the destination.

Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe president Mr Wengayi Nhau welcomed the new developments, saying they speak to sustainable tourism, job creation, foreign currency earning and increase in room stock.

“When there is no confidence in a destination there is no need for people to put the amount of investment we are seeing. This shows confidence and interest in Victoria Falls and as a tourism sector, we applaud the positive developments that we are seeing,” he said.

“However, we want to balance with sustainability and make sure the developments are sustainable in all areas of environment, inclusiveness, involvement of community, diversity in terms of more people getting involved in tourism and job creation.”

Mr Nhau said there is a huge a room deficit in Victoria Falls hence the new developments will help address the challenges. – @ncubeleon

Source: New hotels for Victoria Falls to boost realisation of US$5 billion tourism economy (29/09/23)

Victoria Falls elects 27-year-old Prince Moyo as new mayor

 VICTORIA FALLS – Victoria Falls has installed 27-year-old Prince Thuso Moyo as city mayor following an election held in the resort town on Monday.

Moyo, who is ward 7 councillor, will be deputised by ward 3 councillor Lungile Nyoni.

The two were elected unopposed as the city’s first residents.

Speaking soon after his election, Moyo said the restoration of smooth water supplies to rate payers of a city ironically known worldwide for its giant water spectacle was top of his new council’s priorities.

“We have a challenge of water in this town and there is an over US$4 million water sanitation and hygiene (Wash) project phase one under implementation, we want this project to be completed soonest,” he said.

“We hope the project will be completed before the end of the year to provide adequate water to the citizens. This is our immediate task.”

Moyo joins 25-year-old Masvingo mayor Shantel Chiwara among the youngest to take up arguably the country’s most demanding job in civic leadership.

Victoria Falls has 14 councillors who were elected in the August 23 harmonised elections.

Of these, 11 were elected directly from the poll while three are beneficiaries of the women’s proportional representation quota.

All except one Zanu PF proportional representation, are CCC councillors.

Source: Victoria Falls elects 27-year-old Prince Moyo as new mayor (26/09/23)

World Heritage Committee Dilutes Reaction to Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme

Keep Victoria Falls Wild, 27th September 2023

- South Africa successfully propose amendments diluting Committee decision

- Committee diverted from recommendations of Reactive Monitoring Mission

The World Heritage Committee at its 45th Conference Session, held at Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over 10th-25th September 2023, turned its attention to issues affecting the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (VFWHS) in a discussion held on 13th September (available to view on the UNESCO World Heritage website here (1:52:10 to 2:33:25)). 

Members of the Committee discussed the draft decision text prepared by the World Heritage Centre and IUCN (UNESCO, July 2023) and amendments to the text which were proposed by the South African delegation (UNESCO, August 2023). Both South Africa and Zambia are currently members of the Committee.

The Committee’s concerns mainly focussed on the proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES), jointly proposed by the State Parties of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and potential impacts of the project on the Outstanding Universal Values (OUV) of the VFWHS, which includes a section of the gorges extending some 12 km downstream as well as the Falls themselves and a section the river extending some 15 km upstream.

Map showing flooding of the Batoka Gorge from the proposed 
Hydro-Electric Scheme (click for larger view)

Before the Committee debated the proposed amendments, the World Heritage Centre Secretariat presented an opening statement highlighting direct threats to the Site from the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme (BGHES).

“On the issue of the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme which is referred in paragraph 4 - we would like to note that following review of the documentations from the State Parties, the WHC and IUCN have assessed that the reservoir area of the electric scheme will extend approximately 10.75 km into the property at full supply level which at deepest point will increase the water level in the property by around 43 m. During the dry season it is reported that the reservoir level  will be lowered, which will reduced the flooded area by 5 km. This means that during the dry season still 5.75 km of the gorge inside the property will remain with the higher water level.

“The project will therefore alter the unique gorge ecosystem and water flow and could potentially impact on the ecological values of the property as defined in its statement of OUV.

“The World Heritage Centre therefore considers that the property should not proceed as currently proposed but should be further revised together with the Environmental Impact Assessment to assess alternative project designs that would avoid these impacts on the property and include a comprehensive ecological assessment of the gorge ecosystem.”

In their statement on their proposed amendments the representative for South Africa informed the Committee:

“The State Party of Zambia has taken utmost care to avoid any possible impacts on the OUV through the selection of an alternative that has no likelihood of undermining the integrity of the site. The chosen alternative clearly shows the tail of the backflow of the reservoir waters will only be located in gorges, with a potential water level rise of only 25% maximum, and as such no flooding of the gorges. And therefore no negative impact on the attributes of the OUV.”

The statement appears to contradict itself by saying the backflow will include the gorges (within the WHS) but that there will be “no flooding of the gorges,” and the claimed “potential water level rise of only 25% maximum” appears to make limited sense without further context. 

The representative from Zimbabwe also encouraged the Committee to support the project.

"The establishment of the BGHES will contribute to the partial fulfilment of the national obligations under the Paris agreement following the UN... COP decision to encourage third parties to promote clean energy production whilst reducing and eventually eliminating fossil fuels that are exacerbating climate change and have negative and significant implications on the hydrology of the Zambezi river.

"At present the average of 50 percent of our populations both in Zambia and Zimbabwe lack access to electricity, and ...the investment in clean energy is necessary, and in joint efforts...  our governments remain committed to religiously implement recommendations of the E S I A prepared for this project.

"Given these submissions, Chair, together with Zambia we pledge to continue preserving the integrity of the property whilst ensuring that livelihoods surrounding communities are enhanced through sustainably designed programmes and ensuring that the ecosystems inhabited are preserved to protect the OUV of the property."

The Committee then discussed and considered the various amendments, with the Japanese delegates, in particular, raising concerns over the shift of emphasis away from the request for a comprehensive ecological assessment of the project’s impact on gorge ecosystem environment, instead placing the emphasis on a geomorphological and/or geological assessment.

Google satellite image of the Batoka Gorge (click for larger view)

A detailed ecological study of the gorge ecosystems is essential if the impacts of this development are to be understood. For example the fish communities of the middle Zambezi River system reflect not only the fast-flowing rapids of the gorge system but also a complex regional geomorphological history of major river course changes and river captures, with the Victoria Falls acting as a geographical barrier to the movement of fish and resulting in geographically isolated fish communities downstream of the Falls. Geomorphological evidence has resulted in several theories on the time-scales in the evolution of the Falls and gorge system and the study of comparative fish faunas and species clines has helped refine these theories (Kramer and Van der Bank, 2011). There is still potentially much more that can be learned from the study of the unique fish communities of the Batoka Gorge before they are lost under the waters of the BGHES.

It should be noted that the gorge systems of the middle Zambezi downstream are already significantly affected by the Kariba Dam, and that the BGHES will not only affect the natural river-flow above the dam, but also downstream, effectively modifying the remaining natural sections of the gorge environments. An alternative location, in the Devil’s Gorge, downstream from the Batoka Gorge and above Kariba, would at least leave the Batoka Gorge as a last natural example of the once extensive gorge ecosystems.

Despite the issues raised in the joint World Heritage Centre/IUCN Reactive Monitoring mission report, opening statements from the World Heritage Centre and IUCN and concerns raised by the Japanese delegation, the Committee adopted the amendments suggested by South Africa. The amendments removed a specific request “to assess alternative project designs that will not impact the OUV.”

The amendments effectively remove all the recommendations resulting from the Reactive Monitoring Mission to the Site, undertaken in February 2022 (UNESCO, June 2023), undermining efforts of their own advisory bodies to improve the protection of the Site.

References

Kramera and Van der Bank (2011) The Victoria Falls, a species boundary for the Zambezi Parrotfish, Cyphomyrus discorhynchus (Peters, 1852), and the resurrection of Cyphomyrus cubangoensis (Pellegrin, 1936). Journal of Natural History, Vol.45, Nos.43-44, November 2011, 2669–2699. [Available to download from the KVFW website here.]

UNESCO (June 2023) Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls Reactive Monitoring Mission (February 2022) Final Report. [Available to download from the UNESCO World Heritage website here.]

UNESCO (July 2023) Item 7B of the Provisional Agenda: State of conservation of properties inscribed on the of World Heritage List (WHC/23/45.COM/7B.Add). [Available to download from the UNESCO World Heritage website here.]

UNESCO (August 2023) 7B Amendment/Proposal 45 COM 7B.10 Submitted by the Delegation of South Africa, 26th August. [Available to download from the UNESCO World Heritage website here (direct download).]

Further Information

Read more on the background to the Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Victoria Falls Councillors Defy Chamisa To Vote Mayor Of Own Choice

 Victoria Falls councillors on Monday defied their leader, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), and voted for a mayor and deputy of their choice.

 The 11-ward city is dominated by the CCC, which has 10 out of 11 elected councillors and three Women’s Quota representatives.

After a disruptive meeting last week, in which residents blocked the election citing the imposition of candidates by Chamisa, the council reconvened on Monday and elected Ward 7 councillor Prince Thuso Moyo as mayor and Ward 3 councillor Lungile Nyoni as his deputy

Residents had said they would rather have a local “Munizi” (descendant of Hwange districts) as mayor than an outsider.

Chamisa had wanted Ward 1 councillor Ephias Mambume to become mayor and deputised by Ward 8 councillor Priscilah Mhlanga.

Residents vowed never to allow that to happen, and on Monday, all the CCC councillors except for Mambume convened an urgent meeting behind closed doors in the morning with the party’s Matabeleland North chair, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, where they resolved to elect Cllr Moyo and Cllr Nyoni unopposed.

The election was held in the afternoon after an earlier adjourned meeting in the morning due to the absence of the councillors.

Cllr Moyo has been in the centre of a corruption storm in the last council tenure, where he fronted corruption deals involving sale of land on behalf of other councillors. At some stage, residents had wanted him not voted back into council.

Police and council on Monday intensified security in fear of a repeat of last week’s violent scenes, and only a handful of residents were allowed into council.

Residents’ leaders Kelvin Moyo and others were also picked by police on Saturday for causing violence and released on the same day after they were reported to have been having a meeting plotting against Chamisa’s preferred candidate.

In his acceptance speech, the new mayor, who is Managing Director of Platform Trading and Fruit and Vegetable Market, promised to address water challenges affecting the city.

“I want to thank the outgoing mayor Somveli Dlamini, councillors, Town Clerk Ronnie Dube and his management for efforts made to make sure Victoria Falls attains its goal to be a smart green city,” he said.

“One of the greatest challenges of the city is water and we need to combine efforts with management and Victoria Falls stakeholders for possible funding. I am informed that the previous council was implementing a US$4 million reservoir project and once completed the issue of water will be a thing of the past,” he said.

Already flexing his muscle, Cllr Moyo ordered political parties and candidates in the recent harmonised elections to remove their campaign posters, which he said remained an eyesore to the tourism city.

His deputy, Cllr Nyoni, is employed by a local tour operating company and runs Rush Hour Butcheries, shop and bottle store.

Source: Victoria Falls Councillors Defy Chamisa To Vote Mayor Of Own Choice (26/09/2023)

 

Former tourism minister Walter Mzembi ‘sets’ developmental agenda for new Victoria Falls

 A 26-year-old Councillor, Prince Thuso Moyo, was this Monday elected as the new Mayor of Victoria Falls City, with a tall duty of rebranding the town which houses one of the world’s celebrated wonders.

He is being deputized by Councillor Lungile Nyoni.

The elections were initially disrupted last week after residents opposed the mayoral candidacy of Ephias Mambume, claiming he was not “local enough.”

As reported, nine elected councillors and two Women’s Quota CCC councillors initially held a closed-door meeting with party leaders to discuss the election.

The national leadership allegedly instructed the councillors on who to elect, leading to disruptions by residents during the council meeting.

After consulting with party leaders, the councillors held a new vote, resulting in Prince Thuso Moyo (Ward 7) being elected unopposed as Mayor and Lungile Nyoni (Ward 3) as Deputy Mayor.

The 26-year-old Moyo is the youngest councillor and works as the Managing Director of Platform Trading and Fruit and Vegetable Market. Nyoni who serves as the CCC youth chair in Hwange district says he advocates for youth inclusiveness in decision-making.

Meanwhile, former Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Walter Mzembi has challenged the new mayor to reposition the city on the map and has suggested a developmental agenda for the ne mayor.

Mzembi writes:

Prince Moyo congratulations as New Mayor of Victoria Falls.

Brand Victoria Falls has better appeal than Brand Zimbabwe, we understood this during my Tourism Minister Days, and in repositioning Brand Zimbabwe perpetually undermined by the Governance Pillar and our toxic politics, we rebranded the Tourism Pillar first developing its Brand narrative from Victoria Falls’ seven natural wonder of the world designation, and identified our own seven domestic national wonders of the world which included: Ancient City of Great Zimbabwe, Kariba Dam, Eastern Highlands (Mountains), Our Wildlife, Cultural Heritage, Our People & indeed Victoria Falls itself.

Later there would be debate on whether these seven national wonders were representative enough of us, but at the time to mitigate this we encouraged provinces to develop their own marketing lists.

Back to Victoria Falls, it became clear it would be our lead brand into international markets but more importantly our sectoral “Sanctions Buster” later political and economic.

So I presented it as a possible host for the UNWTO General Assembly, this was in 2009, and at the time a proposition met with derision both at home and abroad but this spurred me on even further so we took up this four year project inviting Zambia into it by 2012 when a trilateral agreement was signed between Zambia, Zimbabwe and the UNWTO for the 20th Session GA later to be successfully hosted in August 2013, and dubbed the most successful ever in the history of General Assemblies.

From there we conceived the Victoria Falls Master Plan, granted it Special Economic Zone Status from Bubi , Hwange, VF to Binga. Inside VF itself a New City was going to emerge closer to the Airport away from the Natural Heritage, and I had successfully lobbied Free Zone Status for it after studying and presenting some benchmarks to Cabinet.

The Victoria Falls Stock Exchange was just but one of the many innovative projects I envisaged at the time, we even had a Formula One version product in the mix, rotating restaurants etc. Our own Sharm El Sheikh for the retreat of Africa Heads of State had been approved.

This was the dream I had for Victoria Falls then so big to the extent that local, traditional and civic leadership lobbied and successfully enlisted me for Freedom of the City which I couldn’t take up on counsel from Mugabe and Cabinet.

Later on I was asked to consider Parliamentary representation but it was overtaken by events principally my Secretary General campaign for UNWTO.

In congratulating the new Mayor I am also setting the development agenda afresh for him through this historical recap and reminding @ZtaUpdates and @BarbaraRwodzi & Team that we had an elephant ‘s vision for Victoria Faĺls, Tourism and Brand Zimbabwe; dont let it die. Build on this legacy. 

Source: We had a big dream, former tourism minister Walter Mzembi ‘sets’ developmental agenda for new Victoria Falls mayor (23/09/2023)

Chamisa’s hidden hand rocks Vic Falls mayoral polls, again

VICTORIA Falls councillors were sworn in last week and the stage is set for the election of a Mayor and a deputy.

The city, born in 2019, has 11 elected councillors for the 11 wards and three women’s quota system representatives making a total of 14 councillors.

Ten of the elected councillors are from  opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and one is independent. The women’s council quota comprises three female councillors, two from CCC and one from Zanu PF. The new council comprises six new comers and five that were retained in the August 23 election, despite complaints by residents over allegations of corruption and disregarding residents’ contributions. 

The newly-elected councillors are Ephias Mambume of Ward 1, Tafadzva Mutowa (Ward 2 and independent), Lungile Nyoni (Ward 3), Richard Mguni (Ward 4), Lewis Ncube (Ward 5), Derreck Munsaka (Ward 6), Prince Thuso Dilelihle Moyo (Ward 7), Priscilla Mhlanga (Ward 8 and the only elected female councillor), Mthunzi Mpofu (Ward 9), Nkanyiso Sibindi (Ward 10) and Daniel Moyo of Ward 11.

The three women’s quota representatives are Cllrs Mabukwana Ndlovu, Mariya Phiri and Tariro Mutapwa who is the only one from Zanu PF.

With the mayoral elections slated for today the biggest debate among Victoria Falls residents is on who among the 14 is fit for the post.

The  councillors have been through orientation and induction with the election of the two top councillors set to take place at the council chambers, according to Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube.

Victoria Falls became a city in 2019 and needs leaders who can match the status of a city.

In 2013, Cde Sifiso Mpofu of Zanu PF became mayor of the city despite the revolutionary party having only three councillors out of 11 at that time, because he was the best candidate while opposition councillors could not agree among themselves.

After the 2018 elections, it took months before the city could have a mayor as jostling for the post became the order of the day.

The opposition councillors, then MDC Alliance, could not agree on who should lead them as the invisible hand of their leaders was evidently working.

Eventually, outgoing mayor Somveli Dlamini was elected although he was recalled several times for being disloyal as he had gone against party leader Mr Nelson Chamisa’s directive for councillors to choose Marguerite Varley who was also to be recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T.

Dlamini this time around did not seek re-election into council, choosing to go for Hwange West Constituency which he lost on an MDC-T ticket.

He was deputised by Patricia Mwale who also did not seek re-election. Insiders have said opposition party leaders have directed council on who they should choose, with Ward 8 Cllr Mhlanga, Cllr Moyo of Ward 7 and Cllr Sibindi of Ward 10 being the front runners.

Cllr Mambume of Ward 1 and Cllr Mguni of Ward 4 are also being considered for their maturity despite not being the choice of the top party leaders, sources said.

Victoria Falls residents are concerned about the quality of the councillors and would have wanted mature representatives who shun corruption, Combined Victoria Falls Residents Association chairperson Mr Kelvin Moyo said.

“The residents’ view is that it is unfortunate that the majority of councillors that returned to council are those we had issues with in the past five years with regards to corruption allegations, poor performance as far as service delivery was concerned. We only hope that this time around they will change their behaviour and listen to what residents want.

“We currently have a very limited quality of councillors. One would have expected to have more options from different parties so that we have experience and competence options. However, from the ones we have, Victoria Falls is now a city and requires someone with capacity and buy-in from all stakeholders as far as maturity is concerned and a serious appreciation of tourism to be able to market the destination to local and international investors. We don’t want anyone who is tainted in terms of corruption but someone who is going to stabilise council in terms of service delivery and bring confidence to the city,” said Mr Moyo.

A resident who preferred to remain anonymous said a number of the “councillors earmarked for the post are still politically young and immature and giving them the top job would make the city a laughing stock.”

But who is who in council?

Ward 1 councillor Mambume is no first timer. He was in council in 2018 before being recalled by the Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T for showing loyalty to Mr Chamisa and then, he was in the race for mayorship. Cllr Mambume, a tourism executive, is known as Mbumez Wabantu in Victoria Falls where he operates Mbumez Wabantu Leisure Centre in Mkhosana. He is a Human Capital Development practitioner who holds a BSc Degree in Social Sciences as well as a Masters Degree in Strategic Management and Corporate Governance. He sits on a number of corporate boards such as the Tourism Industry Pension Fund, Victoria Falls Children’s Trust, VicFalls Enviro Watch and is the national vice president of the Employers Association for Tours and Safari Operators (EATSO).

Ward 2 Cllr Mutowa is a surprise package in the line-up but represents residents’ aspirations to clean the city. A sports administrator and holder of a Fifa Level 1 and 2 coaching certificates as well as sports management certificate, who is also Zifa Southern Region vice chairman, chairman of Victoria Falls’ Division 1 team Mosi Rovers, and civic activist, Cllr Mutowa won as an independent after joining politics in March this year during primaries. He opted to become independent to bring transparency, improved service delivery and advocate for more sporting facilities in the city. Cllr Mutowa is a Class 1 electrician by profession and spearheaded the connection of electricity to CBZ stands which make up Ward 2 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He is also a car dealer and project management expert.

Ward 3 Cllr Nyoni who did his secondary education at Nejambezi and Tsholotsho High, is employed as a host at Shearwater Adventures’ Flight of Angels and runs Rush Hour Butcheries, shop and bottle store. He is the youth chairman and caretaker for his party in Hwange and was re-elected for a second term after being voted in 2018. Cllr Nyoni said his conviction is to advocate for youth inclusiveness in all decision making.

Ward 4 councillor elect Mguni who is a pastor, is a veteran who is in his third term and has attained Alderman status. 

Cllr Munsaka of Ward 6 said he is a mixologist, a bartender specialising in mixing cocktails and a church elder at Redemption Ministry. He did his education in Victoria Falls and started politics in 2004. He is CCC’s local chairperson. Cllr Munsaka said as a councillor, he will push for investment in pro-disability learning institutions, a library, hotel school, youth training centre, and policies that empower locals.

Cllr Moyo of Ward 7 is another returnee. He joined council after being elected in 2018 and also promises to represent and prioritise local people in planning as well as leading through combined efforts with residents, developing  council policies in favour of Victoria Falls residents as well as planning and regulating council activities.

A Mosi-oa-Tunya High School product and holder of a Diploma in Business Management, Cllr Moyo is Managing Director of Platform Trading and Fruit and Vegetable Market. He said he has dynamic leadership, interpersonal and professional skills.

Cllr Sibindi of Ward 10 is another returning councillor who holds a Degree in Development Studies and certificate in Motor Mechanics, as well as a tour guide at Wild Horizons. He is the director of KoSibindi Shopping Mall and shareholder of Nyamandlovu Poultry Farm. Cllr Sibindi is part of the CCC district youth organ.

“I joined politics at the age of 20 as a ward member for MDC-T and in 2018 I became a councillor under MDC Alliance. In 2023, I was elected back to council and my plan is to make sure that council implements resolutions that will turn our city into a worldclass tourism destination with sustainable development that will preserve animal corridors.

“I want to bring council and tourism players together for better service delivery and address water challenges. I want to unite all tribes for development and enhance a good working environment for management and council,” he said.
Cllr Sibindi said the second term for him is for implementing all outstanding projects such as the construction of reservoirs, water pumps, improved billing system and ensure there is a tertiary and tourism institution in Victoria Falls.
Cllr Daniel Moyo is another newcomer in Ward 11. A product of Magwegwe in Bulawayo and Nswazi Secondary in Matabeleland South, Cllr Moyo is self-employed as a curio vendor at Arts and Craft. He is a district organiser for his party. 

Source: Chamisa’s hidden hand rocks Vic Falls mayoral polls, again (14/09/23)

New Report raises questions over management of Victoria Falls World Heritage Site

(1st September 2023)

A new independent report raises serious questions over the management of Victoria Falls World Heritage Site in advance of the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee, to be held 10-25th September 2023. The 2023 State of Development Report (7.2mb) has been commissioned by Keep Victoria Falls Wild, a group of concerned residents and individuals who are campaigning against a wave of proposed tourism developments which threaten the southern (Zimbabwean) side of the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (VFWHS).

Lights from the newly constructed Baines Restaurant intrude over the view of 

the Devil's Cataract in a picture taken at night on a special tour 

to experience the lunar rainbow

The report raises widespread and serious concerns over the management of the Site, with conservation priorities ignored, concerns over the rapidly increasing number of tourism concessions within the area of the WHS, new concerns over the identification or the Site’s boundary, and significant and serious concerns over the boundary of management zones within the Site - with implications for recent developments within the Highly Ecologically Sensitive Zone (HESZ) which prevents the development of any new infrastructure (including a new National Park development, the 'rock pool', and the Baines Restaurant, immediately above the Falls).

"We believe the combined mismanagement and increasing tourism development pressures highlighted over the last few years raise serious concerns over the future viability of the World Heritage Site with serious negative impacts on the Site’s Outstanding Universal Values already caused by recent developments along Zambezi Drive ... The management of Site is in urgent need of detailed review and increasing scrutiny is needed to monitor and mitigate the negative impacts and pressures affecting the Site - and in which the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority appear themselves to be complicit by authorising and agreeing concession licenses within the HESZ. Failure to react strongly to the current wave of developments which threaten the Site will be seen as a green light to the State Parties to continue the commercial development, and ecological degradation, of the Site."

UNESCO World Heritage Committee 45th Session (10-25 September 2023)

The report concludes by responding to the recent World Heritage Committee draft documents, published in advance of the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee to be held in September 2023, calling the current text inadequate to address the serious and urgent problems facing the Site, especially in relation to developments which have already been authorised by Park Authorities on the southern, Zimbabwean, side of the property. The wording of draft decision for Victoria Falls point 5 reads:

“5. Reiterates its concern over the increasing pressure from tourism infrastructure within and around the property, exacerbated by the absence of strategic planning and also requests the States Parties to produce a blueprint for infrastructure development in and around the property that ensures the protection of the property’s OUV, and to not approve any further developments until the blueprint is finalized and submitted to the World Heritage Centre, together with an impact assessment for each proposed project in accordance with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, prior to taking any decision that is difficult to reverse;” (World Heritage Committee, 2023, p.19)

The wording of the current draft request for the ‘blueprint’ overview appears to do nothing in terms of addressing the current wave of unsuitable developments within the WHS HESZ and which have already been authorised and agreed between the Zimbabwean National Park Authority and private tourism operators. The report continues:

"After the delays faced by the monitoring mission to the Site, originally requested in 2019 and only undertaken in February 2022, and the subsequent delays in the dates for the 45th Session, there is an urgent and pressing need for the Committee to further investigate and consider its response to the State Parties, and we urge the Committee to request an urgent review of all current development proposals within the World Heritage Site and surrounding Buffer Zone, and request that all current as well as further/future developments are immediately suspended pending submission and agreement of the detailed ‘blueprint’ and ESIA documents requested by the Committee.

"We further believe that the requested suspension on all new tourism developments and activities within the WHS should be maintained until an adequate (and IUCN/UNESCO approved) management plan for the Victoria Falls and Zambezi National Parks is in place and a new Joint Integrated Management Plan for the Site agreed, including addressing the management of the transport corridor and other areas within the WHS and surrounding Buffer Zone which are outside of National Park control an ignored in current reports presented by State Parties to UNESCO."

The report highlights that the World Heritage Committee has already missed the opportunity to influence some of these developments, which are now already completed and operational (including the Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort in Zambia, opened in December 2022, and Baines Restaurant in Zimbabwe, opened in mid-2023), and risks that others which are in advanced stages of planning and preparation (for example the riverside 'tree lodge' development in Zimbabwe among many others) will be completed before it has time to consider them. 

The report concludes:

"The Committee must act now to influence these developments and put a stop to the continued degradation and fragmentation of the Site. A clear response to the two already constructed and operational developments is also needed from the Committee."

Read More

Download the Keep Victoria Falls Wild 2023 State of Development Report (7.2mb) for more details on the extensive tourism development pressures facing the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

Read more on all these issues and developments on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website, including the history of the Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort and Baines Restaurant developments.

Follow our Facebook page Keep Victoria Falls Wild for latest news and updates.

Please sign the online petition against the current wave of tourism development proposals which threaten the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

References

UNESCO (2023) Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls Reactive Monitoring Mission (February 2022) Final Report. [Available to download from the UNESCO World Heritage website here.]

World Heritage Committee (2023) Item 7B of the Provisional Agenda: State of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (WHC.23.45.COM.7BAdd) p.16-9.