Elephants cause death of two in Victoria Falls

VICTORIA FALLS ELEPHANT TRAGEDY

Two deaths caused by elephants, within the space of a week, have shocked residents of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

The first death, of a young man in Chinotimba, Victoria Falls, occurred on the evening of 3rd June. The man, an apostolic sect member, was trampled to death by a bull elephant soon after dusk while praying.

In the second, unrelated incident, a professional guide was killed by a bull elephant at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge while he was accompanying a client during a safari walk. The elephant was believed to be on 'musth', a period where a bull elephant has higher testosterone levels that heighten aggressive behaviour, charged at the two prompting the guide to fire warning shots. The guide however, tripped and the charging elephant trampled him. 

As reported in our recent Newsletters and stories, residents of Victoria Falls town have been plagued by garden-raiding elephants. Of concern is that as patience has worn thin with their nightly visits residents have resorted to harassing the animals more and more, from throwing stones to using loud fireworks, in order to move them on. 

Residents now look to ZimParks to offer advice and guidance on elephant-human interactions and how they can protect their properties from the attentions of elephants. Local conservationists are recommending non-lethal measures which will discourage the elephants from visiting residential areas. They are working on various alternatives such as qualified teams being set up to deal with elephants and a hotline for residents to call 24 hrs a day.

Clearly shooting all the elephants involved is not an option that the tourism industry, or international community, will support, and yet something must be done before another tragic loss of life occurs.

Tourists walking in Victoria Falls are recommended to always carry a torch at night-time and to take special care on roads frequented by elephants (the tell-tale signs are usually more than evident to sight and smell). Ask around and find out if elephants have been around - if so take a taxi. If elephants are encountered on roads, retreat to a safe distance. Do not throw stones or other objects. If you are close enough to throw stones and get a reaction from the elephant, then you are too close!!

Source: VICTORIA FALLS ELEPHANT TRAGEDY  (08/06/2011)

Elephant Kills Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Guide

On June 8, tragedy struck at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, when the lodge’s Head Guide Tendekai Madzivanzira was killed by an elephant in full musth.

Madzivanzira, who had years of experience, had escorted an international guest from the hotel to the nearby Siduli Hide on an armed walk at 16h00. The hide is close to a waterhole frequented by a variety of game and while the guest was inside the hide, a number of animals visited the waterhole, including a bull elephant in full musth.

The bull chased off another four elephants that had made their way to the water to drink and, after some time, the bull elephant started to move off. It was at this time (18h00) that, while Madzivanzira was escorting his guest back to the lodge, the bull spotted them and started to charge. According to the guest, Madzivanzira grabbed her arm and instructed her to run but by this stage the elephant was too close. Madzivanzira then instructed her to climb a nearby tree and stumbled as he turned to face the elephant as he discharged his weapon. The elephant hit the guide tossing him to the ground.

Efforts by observers and staff whistling and shouting from the lodge’s balcony to try to distract the charging bull elephant were to no avail. The elephant eventually ran off and staff members and a medical team were on site to rescue the guest from the tree and attend to Madzivanzira, who had been fatally wounded. Senior management from Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and experienced wildlife experts, in co-ordination with the National Parks and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), were called to secure the area and to conduct further investigations into the matter.

Once news of the incident had reached Africa Albida Tourism’s head office by 18h30, Madzivanzira the various management staff were deployed to assist with contacting family and immediate grief counselling ensued with the guide’s family and the guests.

While in transit today to Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Ross Kennedy, Africa Albida Tourism’s Chief Executive, said: “It is a very sad and shocking thing to have happened and we will do everything we can do to provide support for Tendekai’s family. I‘ve been told the staff at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge have been amazing in dealing with the situation and I have to say a big thank you to all of them. This is the first time in the 17 years of the lodge being open that something like this has ever happened and as much as we train our staff for a worst case scenario when living in the bush with wild animals, you still never think an incident like this is ever going to take place. Tendekai was a skilled professional who had the respect of his wildlife peers and conservation colleagues, along with all clients, staff, and the community as a whole”

Source: Elephant Kills Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Guide (08/03/11)

Zimbabwe Cricket Unveils Plan to Build Test Pitch In Victoria Falls Resort

 Zimbabwe hopes to return into test play later this year after voluntarily dropping out in 2005 under pressure from the International Cricket Council to rebuild the team, decimated by internal feuds and political pressures

Zimbabwe Cricket has announced that it plans to build its third test cricket ground in the northwestern resort town of Victoria Falls to decentralize the sport.

Zimbabwe Cricket Chief Executive Ozias Bvute said his organization has identified the site and is in advanced talks with the Victoria Falls town council about the project.

"We have already done an environmental impact accessment of the site to ensure that the construction of the cricket field will not negatively impact the area and are happy with the way things are going at present," Bvute said.

"Victoria Falls town council is happy with the relationship that we have built and they are excited about the project coming to the resort town, " he added.

Zimbabwe hopes to return into test play later this year after voluntarily dropping out in 2005 under pressure from the International Cricket Council to rebuild the team.

The Australian and South African "A" teams are due in the country next month for preparatory matches with the Zimbabweans. Australia's visit to Zimbabwe signals a thawing of relations between the countries following the 2007 ban of cricketing tours to the Southern African state by Canberra alleging human rights abuses.

"The Australian 'A' team's visit is very important to our team and we happy that open lines of communication between our two nations led to this tour taking off in July and will help prepare our team for returning to test play," Bvute said.

He told VOA Studio 7 reporter Marvellous Mhlanga Nyahuye that architects are finishing plans for the ground to present soon to Victoria Falls town council.

Source: Zimbabwe Cricket Unveils Plan to Build Test Pitch In Victoria Falls Resort (01/06/2011)

See Also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd July 2010) Zimbabwe to build Test ground at Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (10th June 2011) Plans approved for Victoria Falls ground.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd October 2014) Vic Falls cricket stadium on course.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd October 2014) Mugabe to officiate at ground-breaking for 10 000-seater Vic Falls cricket stadium.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (6th January 2016) Vic Falls cricket stadium construction in limbo.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24th October 2016) ZC shelves ambitious Vic Falls stadium plan.

The plans were resurrected in 2024 as part of the Masuwe Special Economic Zone development proposals. Construction started in May 2024. Read more on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Victoria Falls Zambia dedicated for Peace through Tourism

What has tourism got to do with peace? One might say, Peace, that's the government's job. Louis D'Amore believes otherwise.
He is the founding president of the International Institute of Peace through Tourism.

The Canadian government commissioned him to develop a code of ethics and guidelines for sustainable tourism that has become an international model. D'Amore says, "World leaders are now beginning to realize that if we want peace, we must prepare for peace.

And if we are to prepare for peace, we must have, and share, a common, positive vision of peace."

Louis D'Amore of the "Coalition of Partners for World Peace through Tourism" with partners who are each committed to a "Millennium Project."
"The tourism industry has the potential to become the world's first "Peace Industry"; an industry that recognizes, promotes and supports the belief that every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for Peace."

The president of Zambia H.E. Rupiah Bwezani Banda declared the week of May 15 as a national week of Peace Through Tourism in honor of Louis D'Amore 5th Africa Conference in Lusaka.

20 delegates from the 5th Africa Conference for the International Insitute for Peace through tourism (IIPT) went to Victoria Falls, Zambia on May 18,2011 to re-dedicate the IIPT Peace Park. IIPT delegates and their founder and president Louis D'Amore were joined by Zambia's Minister of Tourism, Environment and natural resources Hon. Catherine Namuga,Zoltan Somogyi , Executive Director for Member Relation Services, UNWTO, and local dignatories from both Zambia
and Zimbabwe.

And speaking at the re-dedication ceremony in Livingstone, IIPT Founder and President, Louis D’Amore said the falls is an important part of global tourism.
And World Tourism Organisation Executive Director, Soldan Somogoyi reiterated Mr. D’Amore’s sentiments.

The Victoria Falls was last rededicated in 2005 during the 3rd IIPT conference.
And speaking at the same occasion, Tourism Minister, Catherine Namugala said the re-dedication of the Victoria Falls shows government’s commitment to the sector.

H.E. Namugala has further noted that tourism is one of the major sectors under the economic diversification agenda hence needs to be supported. She also stated the need to push for the agenda of peace through tourism.

Source: Victoria Falls Zambia dedicated for Peace through Tourism (31/05/11)

Zimbabwe, Zambia struggle to reclaim assets in SA

 ZIMBABWE and Zambia are struggling to reclaim legacy indivisible assets including vast mineral rights covering close to two million hectares of land in South Africa left to them by the former coloniser, Cecil John Rhodes.

Rhodes, using the British South Africa Company, (BSAC) colonised Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1888 and 1890 respectively before the two neighbours became known as Northern and Southern Rhodesia as they formed a Federation.

The Cape government awarded Rhodes’ company Bechuanaland Railway Company Limited, vast stretches of land to facilitate the construction of the railwayline in present day South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

On June 1, 1899 Bechuanaland Railway Company changed name to Rhodesia Railways Limited which managed to retain ownership of mineral rights in South Africa excluding land rights.

The mineral rights covered an area in excess of 1,7 million hectares over 523 farms and in the 1930s Rhodes sold some of his land and retained mineral rights in South Africa.

Rhodesia Railways became Zimbabwe-Zambia Pvt Ltd (Ziza) in 1990.

The Rhodes Trust left the mineral rights in equal shares to modern Zimbabwe and Zambia but the process of transferring mineral rights is not yet complete.

There are 1 660 000ha of mineral rights in North West and Northern Cape provinces in South Africa following the recent loss of 40 000ha to Aquila through a Constitutional Court judgment (CCT08/18) in South Africa.

The other indivisible assets left by the Trust include the Victoria Falls Hotel and the Victoria Falls Bridge.

There are also funds locked in the defunct Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) while Bon Accord Hotel was sold to Zambia Government and Wankie Hotel to a private investor.

Zimbabwe and Zambia jointly incorporated the Emerged Railways Properties (ERP) (PVT) LTD in 1997 to manage the indivisible assets through the Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). Ziza is a subsidiary of ERP, whose investment and property manager’s main offices are in Victoria Falls and another in Livingstone, Zambia.

The South African Government in 2005 enacted the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act which sought to recognise that mineral resources are common heritage of all South Africans and collectively belong to all the people of South Africa under the framework of the use-it-or-lose-it/use-it-and-keep-it principle hence the ERP became incapacitated to exploit its mineral interests in the neighbouring country.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding based on this background, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa formed a company called Pan African Minerals Development Company (PMDC) to hold and exploit the mineral rights.

Each government signed a shareholder’s agreement with each holding 33,3 percent and the Zimbabwe and Zambia shares are held through ERP while those for South Africa are held by Africa Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC).

South Africa was mandated to provide PAMDC board chair while Zimbabwe and Zambia rotate the chief executive position.

There have been numerous problems in the operations of PAMDC which last held a Council of Ministers meeting in 2014 while South Africa resigned as board chair in 2017 creating governance challenges as no decisions can be validated without a board chair.

PAMDC faces dire financial constraints due to non-contributions by shareholders and governments while there is risk of losing more land due to legal suits, illegal exploration and mining that could lead to further losses.

The Council of Ministers held a meeting in Livingstone, Zambia on Saturday chaired by Zimbabwe’s Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Felix Mhona and his counterpart Mutotwe Kafwaya who is Zambia’s Transport and Communication Minister and are both co-chairs.

The meeting was also attended by National Railways of Zimbabwe Board chair Advocate Martin Dinha and his ZRL counterpart Dr Wala Chabula and NRZ acting general manager Mrs Restina Zinyanduko, who together with ZRL managing director Mr Christopher Musonda are ERP co-board chairpersons.

It was meant to discuss operations of ERP and status of Pan African Minerals Development Company (PMDC) so that the Ministers receive and consider reports, with a communique to be submitted to both countries’ principals.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Mhona who is a co-chair said there is a need to find a lasting solution to governance, cooperation and viability challenges which have confronted PMDC.

He pledged Government’s commitment to operations of ERP, adding that he had already engaged President Mnangagwa on the issue.

“This convocation is an eloquent testament that our two sister countries are totally dedicated to the cause of infrastructure development. We have moved together on a number of projects anchored on our shared vision of transforming our economies to upper middle-income status by 2030 and the opportunity offered by the ERP creates room for scaling up our further cooperation in areas of infrastructure.

“Through this participation let us scale up our government-to-government cooperation in infrastructure development and deepen people to people relations as these are catalysts for stronger relations between the two countries,” he said.

While the PAMDC challenges are historic, Minister Mhona said the current governments could be the generation to unlock business opportunities that lie hidden in the mineral claims

“While the complexities of unlocking value from the vast mineral resources and interest in PAMDC are apparent, we should not lose sight of the cardinal work ethic which should be invested towards finding a lasting solution to the challenges.

“The four-tier approach which is leveraged on engagement of our South African counterparts and the need to curve out a brilliant investment plan for the PAMDC should be supported by a time bound implementation matrix. Now that we have engaged as Zambia and Zimbabwe, we will use that as a springboard of our immediate future actions to unlock the value that resides in PAMDC,” added Minister Mhona.

His Zambian counterpart said there was need to move with speed.

The success of PAMDC is based on mutual and beneficial cooperation of the three countries.

The meeting resolved that a viable investment framework should immediately be adopted and implemented as a strategic turnaround strategy of PAMDC and that financial constraints emanating from non-contributions by shareholders and governments should be addressed.

It was also resolved that South Africa should appoint a chair to the PAMDC board and director to fill positions which have been vacant for a long time making it difficult to hold meetings and the board should meet quarterly while the Council of Ministers should immediately resume on an annual basis.

The two co-chair ministers should engage their South African counterparts through diplomatic protocol before June 15 and if the engagement does not yield desired results by the given timelines, the two ministers shall then seek the intervention of the two respective Presidents to engage their South African counterpart on the matter.

Source: Zimbabwe, Zambia struggle to reclaim assets in SA (10/05/2011)

Lion attacks tourist at Victoria Falls

A dream vacation to Zimbabwe turned into a nightmare for a woman from East County, San Diego in the US after she was attacked by a lion while on a safari with her husband at Victoria Falls.

Colleen Garbaczewski and her husband were on a lion walk at Victoria Falls when she was attacked, according to a family friend.

Videos of lion walks show people walking near lions. Some even sit with the lions and even pet them.

But for Garbaczewski, something went terribly wrong. Though the details remain unclear, the attack left Garbaczewski with what her family said were non life-threatening injuries.

"It's terrible. That's horrible," said Joseph Kalfayan, who has lived near the couple for 10 years.

Garbaczewski is an executive with Pacific Coast Rentals and is also involved in the community.

Kalfayan had this message for his friend: "I wish her good health, the best of luck and a quick recovery."

A member of the Garbaczewski family said Garbaczewski is recovering well and should be home soon.

Source: Lion attacks tourist at Victoria Falls (08 May 2011)

Tug of war over Falls tourists

"Tourists are back!" said Knowledge, all smiles at the Victoria Falls tourism office.

His sentiment is shared widely in this resort town on the edge of the mile-wide waterfall, where it's hard to remember that three years ago Zimbabwe was trapped in a seemingly endless spiral of hyperinflation, hunger and political violence.

Victoria Falls had become a ghost town as tourists opted for the comforts and safety of resorts on the Zambian side of the Zambezi River, where the once sleepy town of Livingstone enjoyed a tourism boom as Zimbabwe collapsed.

"The Zambian side has definitively profited from all the problems in Zimbabwe," said Sarah, who sells excursions for at the Zambezi Sun, part of a South African hotel chain that opened on the Zambian side in 2001.

Hotels, lodges and other tourist attractions have mushroomed over the past decade around Livingstone, which became so popular that it now boasts several daily direct flights to South Africa.

But a brand new curio market on the main road lies empty as tourists fly in and hop across the border.

"We are not happy, the situation is bad," said the Livingstone Tourism Association. "They come here for activities and they go to Zimbabwe for accommodation."

Livingstone still runs a brisk trade in business travel by hosting conferences and corporate team-building workshops, but now faces stiff competition with Victoria Falls for leisure travellers.

Zimbabwe's tourism earnings jumped 47 percent last year to $770 million, as the number of visitors rose 15 percent to 2.3 million nationally, with Victoria Falls the country's biggest attraction, according to the tourism ministry.

Tourism minister Walter Mzembi hopes to grow that number to five billion dollars by 2015.

"However, this is on condition that the current peace and stability in the country prevails and the country is able to spin a more positive image of itself," he told reporters last month.

Since Zimbabwe adopted the US dollar two years ago, prices are lower in Victoria Falls than in Livingstone, where entrance to the derelict Railway Museum costs $15 for foreigners.

"It is cheaper here, and people can walk to the falls. They don't have to take a taxi or whatever," said Duni, a Victoria Falls hawker offering sunset cruises, helicopter rides, rafting, bungee jumps and safaris to passers-by on the sidewalk.

While Victoria Falls sits at the river edge, Livingstone is 10 kilometres (six miles) away, with a fleet of blue taxis shuttling visitors around for $10 a pop.

Opinion is divided on which side offers the better view of the 108-metre (360-foot) high falls, though the Zimbabwean side has a greater variety of viewpoints.

Confident in its renaissance, Victoria Falls has asked for Chinese aid to expand its airport to accommodate bigger planes.

But the throngs of street vendors trailing tourists are a constant reminder that it's still not business as usual.

Among the souvenirs on offer, a 100-trillion-dollar note from the old Zimbabwe currency, a worthless amount during the age of hyperinflation. Its relegation to the trinket shelves is what allowed to Victoria Falls to welcome visitors again.

Source: Tug of war over Falls tourists (23/04/11)