Vic Falls Residents Forced To Use Bush Toilet As Water Shortages Rock Town

 VICTORIA FALLS: The tourism town of Victoria Falls is facing an unprecedented water crisis that has seen residents in parts of Mkhosana going for a fortnight without the precious liquid.

The worst affected dwellers are those in Mfelandawonye, BD847, BD848, and BD46 sections which have not had water in their taps for more than two weeks.

What characterises most households now are an offensive strong stink of poo as there is no water to flush toilets posing a huge health time bomb to a town that is set to be granted city status.

Some residents have resorted to using the bush to relieve themselves with open defecation now rife.

The municipality has restored to supply the residents with water bowsers and long winding queues of thirsty residents jostling to fill their buckets as they endure the hot weather without water.

Residents are pressuring the residents’ association to stage a demonstration against the local council and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) which pumps bulk water to the municipality.

The residents believe there is a lack of commitment from the council and ZINWA as the water shortages have become a perennial challenge.

Every year between September and December, the resort town’s residents have to endure the hot weather with no water.

Unlike other towns, there are no boreholes in Victoria Falls because of the Kalahari soils and depth of water table.

“The situation is dire. Some areas have not had water for two weeks and you can imagine how people are surviving. Having to hunt for water each morning. This is happening when hotels are closed and where demand is low. Imagine if the whole industry was open, we would have had waterborne diseases. People are now using the bush to relieve themselves and we fear disease outbreak,” said one resident.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson, Kelvin Moyo called for calm saying engagement with the authorities was underway.

“Our town is faced with an unprecedented water crisis that has affected both residents and business. Residents are agitated and want to demonstrate. We are aware of the urgency this matter requires and as such we will be convening a tripartite meeting with ZINWA and council management. The situation needs to be attended to with a sober mind in order to resolve the perennial challenge,” said Moyo.

Source: Vic Falls Residents Forced To Use Bush Toilet As Water Shortages Rock Town (4/11/20)

Food-for-work initiative keeps Vic Falls clean

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
WELL-WISHERS in Victoria Falls have come up with a food-for-work initiative where people affected by Covid-19 volunteer to clean around the town before getting a food hamper which includes a 10-kilogramme pack of mealie-meal.

More than 200 people have benefited so far from the initiative which started on Friday. The initiative is meant to complement Government’s various safety net initiatives and the national clean-up exercise launched by President Mnangagwa more than a year ago.

With the national clean-up exercise on hold because of the Covid-19-induced lockdown, some places in Victoria Falls have accumulated litter.

The Victoria Falls food-for-work initiative seeks to tidy the town in preparation for reopening of tourism to both domestic and international travellers. Last week some of the volunteers cleaned around the Central Business District and streets leading to Chinotimba and Mkhosana suburbs. Programme co-ordinator Mr Kent Davis said the initiative is aimed at encouraging people to take care of their environment regardless of the economic situation.

“This is a combination of two things. The taskforce is trying to assist after Covid-19 made people economically vulnerable due to mass unemployment. While we don’t have enough resources, we thought it was a good idea to combine food distribution with some work hence we partnered council to invite volunteers,” said Mr Davis.

He said more than 200 people have taken part in the two days the exercise has been done. Mr Davis said this would be done weekly.

“We want to make sure people have food but at the same time cleaning our town in preparation for that time when tourists will start coming. We feel everyone has been left vulnerable hence we are not screening as long as one has registered as a volunteer. We are keeping records so that people don’t volunteer twice at least for now,” he added.

He said social distancing is being observed during the cleaning exercises. More than three quarters of workers in Victoria Falls have been unemployed for the past three months after the implementation of the lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. One of the volunteers, Ms Eunice Ncube from Chinotimba who is a curio vendor said she was grateful to be part of a team that is working to ensure that the resort town is cleaned. @ncubeleon

Source: Food-for-work initiative keeps Vic Falls clean (14/06/20) 

An Important Message from the Jafuta Foundation, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

An Important Message from the Jafuta Foundation, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (www.jafutafoundation.org/, www.facebook.com/JafutaFoundation/):

As a result of Covid-19, the entire economy of Victoria Falls has collapsed overnight. The 35,000 inhabitants of this tourist destination town have regularly faced significant challenges and have always done so with stoicism, dignity and a degree of fatalism. This is the first time it has faced starvation as a result of factors beyond it's control.

With virtually the entire town now unemployed, we estimate that from the end of April, most will be unable to feed themselves. We have formed a task force to try and address not only the virus, but the greater threat of famine. We have tried to alert all the major food agencies across the world, but their attention is understandably focused elsewhere for now.

Zimbabweans are resourceful and dynamic (we've had to be). The community has set up a Task Force to deal with the dual challenges of the virus (and raise funds for badly needed medical supplies via a go fund me page) – and this imminent secondary wave of catastrophe. The Famine task force has organised commercial kitchens, warehousing, transport, logistics and an army of volunteers. To date we have only secured 60 tonnes of rice and 35 tonnes of maize meal - which will feed no more than 1 200 people for one month. We are busy with setting up seedling nurseries, water access programs, and enabling rural communities surrounding us to plant vegetables. This program, whilst urgently needed, will only show any benefits in 2 – 3 months time at the earliest.

We urgently appeal for donations to allow us to procure emergency food supplies - £50 feeds a family of four for one month. We are playing for time and eventually we hope established food agencies will come in and relieve our needs - but it is nowhere in sight for now, and we are on our own.

Our task force and fundraising effort is supported by ALL the major operators and stakeholders in the town . All funds received will go to a registered foundation – the Jafuta Foundation (https://www.jafutafoundation.org) – a registered 501(c)3 in America and a registered foundation and operating in the Victoria Falls. 100% of any donations will go directly into buying food and there are no administration, distribution costs or hidden costs.

For internet donations, please go to https://www.jafutafoundation.org/donate or contact gcvj@mweb.co.za for USA bank details for a direct deposit.

On behalf of our beleaguered community, our heartfelt gratitude for any help that you may be able to give.

Appeal website: Victoria Falls Famine Appeal

HAZ pledges to bankroll Victoria Falls clinic, solar projects

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) is mobilising resources to construct a community clinic and install a solar system at Chinotimba Old People’s Home in Victoria Falls.

The home accommodates 14 elderly men and women, with the eldest being 107 years old. It is run by the Chinotimba Association for the Destitute and Aged (Chada) under the auspices of both the Victoria Falls Municipality and the Department of Social Welfare.

HAZ adopted the home as part of the hospitality industry’s corporate social responsibility and operators take turns to donate foodstuffs, clothes, medication and other necessities. Management at the old people’s home had complained about lack of medicines for the elderly who suffer from different ailments.

Most of the drugs are bought from Livingstone in Zambia and require foreign currency.

HAZ secured a developer to refurbish one of the disused buildings and convert it into a clinic. Provision of medical equipment had also been secured before the country was plunged into the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

HAZ coordinator Ms Yvonne Jandles said US$15 000 is needed to renovate the building and turn it into a clinic, which will not only serve the old people’s home but all vulnerable groups from the resort town.

“We have adopted the Old People’s Home as part of our social responsibility programme and as HAZ we assist with food donations. We get monthly grocery vouchers from Pick n Pay and also industry players contribute. 

“We have also opened funeral policies for the elderly housed here while we also take turns to fill gas for cooking. We work in close liaison with Victoria Falls Municipality,” said Ms Jandles.

She said currently the Old People’s Hone has enough food stocks despite the lockdown caused by Covid-19, which has incapacitated industry.

“We can’t speak of the future because we don’t know when this pandemic will end but until now we have continued helping. They have been sourcing drugs from Zambia but now there is a challenge because the border is closed.

“We were trying to put a clinic here so that they access health services without hustles but with the current situation that project has been put on hold. We were looking at US$15 000 to renovate the building according to the quotations we got. We have a donor for the medical equipment and another for furnishing the facility and what we need now will be to reengage the donors after the pandemic,” said Ms Jandles.

She said the municipality has given greenlight for the project.

“We could have started the project but we needed clarification from the municipality about the two companies that were to do renovation. We got permission to go ahead but unfortunately we had Covid-19 outbreak, which put everything on hold.

“Once in place, the clinic will not be limited to the Old People’s Home but will service scores of the elderly people in community. We are also looking at having a solar project for the home so they don’t struggle with electricity,” added Ms Jandles.

She could not give a budget for the solar project saying assessment was being done.

-@ncubeleon

Source: HAZ pledges to bankroll Victoria Falls clinic, solar projects (09/06/20)

Health care seekers complain over poor service at Victoria Falls hospital

Victoria Falls: People seeking primary health care at Victoria Falls Hospital have expressed concern at the slow service delivery at the facility owing to limited hours they are attended to because of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

The hospital acts as a referral for areas in the whole of Hwange West constituency covering the resort town and villages around Monde, Jambezi, Chisuma, Sidobe, Ndlovu, Jambezi, Woodlands and Matetsi.

The hospital used to open its gates to the public at 7.30am but now health seekers are only allowed to enter around 9am.

NewZimbabwe.com observed during the course of the week that each morning was characterised by long queues of about 30 to 40 people waiting to be allowed into the hospital premises for various services.

Some are pregnant women, with some being new mothers seeking healthcare for their newly born babies while others are seeking treatment for various ailments.

Only those visiting the sick were being allowed in at 7am.

Those who spoke to this publication said they were concerned over how attention was being given to Covid-19 activities at the expense of other health related needs.

“I have a new baby and have to take her for seven days check-up but have been in the queue since 7am.

“Now it’s almost 9am and they have not started attending to us. Last time when I was here for three days check up again, we spent 30 minutes just being cleared at the gate before queuing for the actual service inside,” said Norah Mudenda of Mkhosana.

Shamiso Tembo, a pregnant young woman from Jambezi said, “It’s difficult for us who are expecting. We are being kept in the queue for more than an hour and that’s tiresome.

“It would have been better if we were queuing inside the hospital not just to be checked for temperature and sanitised for Covid-19.

“At this stage, I can’t continue going to Jambezi Clinic because I am almost due and I have to be checked at the hospital.”

Even those visiting for daily sputum take for TB screening are affected.

With Hwange having no district hospital, Victoria Falls Hospital is the sole referral for Chisuma, Ndlovu and Jambezi clinics which are the only ones in the constituency.

Victoria Falls, Hwange Colliery and St Patricks’ Hospital are the three major health facilities in the district.

5 Miles Hospital in Hwange which was supposed to be a district hospital was condemned two years ago before it could be officially used because of the substandard construction work by the contractors.

It had taken more than 10 years to construct and now efforts are being made to renovate the cracked walls and floors which made health officials condemn it.

The Covid-19 taskforce identified the idle 5 Miles Hospital as an isolation centre.

Hwange District Medical Officer, Fungai Musinami recently said plans were underway to hunt for partners towards upgrading of Victoria Falls Hospital into a district hospital.

Source: Health care seekers complain over poor service at Victoria Falls hospital (13/06/20)

Victoria Falls hotels shut down

TOURISM operators and hoteliers in Victoria Falls have resolved to suspend operations to prevent spread of the deadly Covid-19 (coronavirus), which has seen the country recording three positive cases.

Lately, players in the industry have suffered massive cancellations of bookings resulting in room occupancy rate dropping to average two percent in some hotels while others are already at zero. Three quarters of jobs have since been lost after employers terminated contracts while some workers have been sent on forced leave or placed on half salary because of lack of business.

Africa Albida Tourism (AAT), a hospitality group with hotels, lodges and restaurants across Southern Africa yesterday announced that it will suspend operations at all its properties in Victoria Falls for the next three months starting on Tuesday next week.

In a statement, the hospitality group's chief executive, Mr Ross Kennedy, said the affected properties are Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges, The Boma Dinner & Drum Show.
 
Operations will resume on July 1, subject to the prevailing health situation.

"After deep and careful consideration with our board, shareholders, works council and employees we have made the difficult but correct decision to temporarily cease operations at all our Victoria Falls properties for the next three months. Our last day of operation will be March 31, 2020," said Mr Kennedy.

He said the group considered health and welfare of employees' families, community and tourists. 

"The plan is to commence operation on July 1 but this may be further extended or even shortened depending on the prevailing situation. This is a time of huge uncertainty in our country and across the world and we as AAT have to do our part to curtail the spread of the virus," said Mr Kennedy.

The reservations office will remain open while a skeleton staff will be on standby to deal with affected clients. An official from the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe said operators had been told to follow suit.

"We have engaged the leadership and the industry that if we all care for all our staff we must follow suit and do what's right. We can recover money but lives lost are lost for good and the families will have lost breadwinners," said the official on condition of anonymity.

He said the tourism industry was facing shutdown as a result of coronavirus which has resulted in massive cancellation of trips and bookings worldwide. Some small lodges in Hwange have also reportedly stopped booking people while some businesses and organisations have also closed shop.  

Meanwhile, Victoria Falls municipal police fought running battles with Zambian vendors yesterday as residents expressed concern about laxity of authorities at the country's ports of entry. The vendors cross through Victoria Falls border post every morning to sell vegetables, tomatoes, green mealies and other farm produce as well as clothes and return to their country in the evening.

Authorities at the border said they were waiting for official communication to close the border.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has also said the industry is uniquely exposed with an estimated 50 million jobs set to be lost globally. WTTC appealed to governments to come up with tourism funds to support the industry.

Source: Victoria Falls hotels shut down (26/03/20)

Vic Falls Covid-19 scare clarified

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

GOVERNMENT has clarified the case of a British tourist who visited Victoria Falls recently and reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 in her country, saying the woman has actually not been tested and is only in self-quarantine.

Last week, the woman, who is believed to have been in the company of her husband, was reportedly rushed to Victoria Falls Hospital after developing fever-like conditions while checking into a local hotel.

Medical doctors cleared her after she responded to anti-malaria drugs and she exited the country via South Africa on March 10. In a statement on Monday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo reported that the woman had tested positive in UK, raising fears among residents and tourism staffers in Victoria Falls that the coronavirus may have spread.

After making follow ups with UK authorities yesterday, Government established that the woman was not tested in her country as she did not show symptoms of the virus. The director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Portia Manangazira said there was no need for Zimbabweans to be scared as no positive case has been recorded. She, however, reiterated the need for people to be cautious.

“Contrary to what the media reported and after we made follow ups, those people are in self-quarantine in UK in line with that country’s guidelines because they don’t fit in the Covid-19 case definition. This is what we got today (Tuesday) that nobody tested them and as such we don’t have an official communication from UK that they tested positive although they are sick with other problems. This, however, doesn’t relax our efforts to monitor all their contacts,” said Dr Manangazira.

She said health officials will go ahead with surveillance measures, especially following up on people the couple may have had contact with while in Victoria Falls and even in other parts of the country.

It emerged that a travel agency that had raised the alarm had not verified the information before relaying it. Fear gripped the country’s prime resort town following the Monday announcement as residents felt the tourism and health sectors needed to tie some loose ends to make sure safety is guaranteed. 

Some questioned the country’s preparedness to detect and deal with the pandemic, which has been declared a national disaster in many countries including Zimbabwe yesterday.

Workers at the hotel where the British couple had checked in had put themselves on self quarantine although health officials had remained cautious. 

Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) Victoria Falls chapter chairperson Mr Arnold Musonza called for maximum sensitisation of citizens at all spheres of life.

“As operators, we have requested to be given guidelines and offered to help with whatever resources are required to fully sensitise the public. We are expecting sanitizers from South Africa as we feel that precaution should start with us. 

“We appeal to every section of society, especially churches, to strongly adhere to safety measures because imagine if something happens at a workplace, the same worker will go to a church gathering and then home and the virus can spread to all those people. We need to be extra cautious at individual level,” he said. — @ncubeleon 

Source: Vic Falls Covid-19 scare clarified (19/03/20)

Vic Falls workers 'vulnerable' after UK tourist tests positive for coronavirus

A British tourist to Zimbabwe tested for the coronavirus in Victoria Falls last week, whose results initially indicated a reaction to malaria medication, was diagnosed positive upon returning home over the weekend.

The tourist, from Windsor, was booked at Ilala Lodge in the resort town. She was there from March 7 to 10.

District medical officer Dr Fungai Musimani initially tested the patient, and provincial medical officer Purgie Chimberengwa told TimesLIVE that it was not the dreaded coronavirus.

After testing positive for Covid-19 upon returning home to the UK, the patient’s agent communicated with Shane White, the marketing director at Wild Horizons, the tour company that hosted the woman.

In a memo copied to all staff members at Wild Horizons, it was advised they must get tested and all company facilities treated.

“She [the woman] complained about feeling unwell and a doctor was called. He agreed she was suffering from a reaction to malaria medication. When [she] got home, she was diagnosed with coronavirus. We have literally just this moment been told. Please can you do all necessary in respect of your staff and cleaning vehicle etc,” states the memo.

Wild Horizons corporate affairs director Barbara Murasirwana told TimesLIVE that the matter has been referred to the ministry of health and childcare. She also communicated with the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe.

The country's minister of health and childcare, Dr Obadiah Moyo, did not respond to calls from TimesLIVE.

Workers from Ilala Lodge said they have been advised to self-quarantine with their families.

“The situation is very tense at work and we are scared. We are still hosting visitors who had been booked through our agents before the travel ban. When they get into the lodge, there is no testing that takes place. We carry their bags at times even without gloves, give them food and clean their rooms. We are just vulnerable and even the company management is panicking,” said one worker.

A worker at the Shearwater Explorers Village lodge said he felt more exposed as he worked at the front office.

Workers earn 80% of their salaries in foreign currency, and the other 20% in local currency. But because of the global ripple effect of the coronavirus, their salaries will be cut by 50%.

“A few days back, the company wrote an e-mail advising us that salaries were going to be slashed by 20% and then today [Monday] morning they circulated another memo announcing a further 50% slash. Bookings lined up for the year have been cancelled. Today we only have nine guests booked in the lodge,” he said.

"We try to sanitise every environment as we have been trained, but we feel that is not sufficient."

Following news of the suspected case, Victoria Falls Primary School on Monday sent a memo to parents suspending all sporting activities and fixtures. School trips have also been suspended. Lessons are expected to continue, albeit without any guarantee.

An estimated one million visitors from all over the world visit Victoria Falls, with a population of 33,360 as of the 2012 census, each year. Recent statistics indicate that the bulk of visitors are from Germany, China, Japan, South Africa and the UK.

Border posts between Zambia and Zimbabwe, like Victoria Falls, are still not screening for the virus. It is the same at the Kazungula border post to Botswana in Kasane, where screening is only done on the Botswana side.

Zimbabwe is yet to officially confirm its first coronavirus case.

Source: Vic Falls workers 'vulnerable' after UK tourist tests positive for coronavirus (17/03/20)

Mosquitoes, roaches wreak havoc at Vic Falls Hospital

MOSQUITOES and cockroaches have become an everyday menace for patients and nurses at Victoria Falls Hospital.

Several patients interviewed by Southern Eye said they were having sleepless nights because of the mosquito and cockroaches menace. Mothers said they had woken to see mosquito bites covering their babies’ faces and hands.

“The buzzing sound of mosquitoes keeps me awake. I normally cover myself with blankets to protect myself. It is too hot and they breed a lot,” one mother said.
“My baby’s ears and hands have red marks,” said another mother who refused to be named.

A just-discharged patient also complained about lack of mosquito repellents or mosquito nets at hospitals.

“Three days ago, I struggled to sleep at night in this referral hospital. How can I get well from malaria when mosquitoes bite me because of lack of hospital nets in the room? This is a pure paradox that there is no mosquito bed nets to support the sick in this clinic and cockroaches run up and down even in the toilets at night.”
Another parent, whose child was admitted, also complained about the lack of mosquito nets at the institution.

“Before we took her to Mpilo (Central Hospital) in Bulawayo, she had reacted badly and she had bites all over body. She kept scratching and I feared that she might suffer from malaria. Government needs to intervene. There is no medication, some windows are broken and the mosquitos are terrorising sick patients who can’t defend themselves,” Ndaba Ncube said.

Although he acknowledges the presence of mosquitoes at the hospital, district health practitioner Wisdom Kurauone suggested there was no serious problem at the hospital and said he did not believe that mosquito nets were necessary as it was the season for them to breed.

“There is nothing that we can do. Hwange district is known for its high temperatures and mosquitos and cockroaches breed during that time a lot. They [mosquitoes and coackroaches] are not only breeding in hospital, but their houses too,”

“They are just causing a nuisance and they cannot cause malaria . . . they won’t infect anyone with malaria.”

Source: Mosquitoes, roaches wreak havoc at Vic Falls Hospital (19/03/18)