Econet Victoria Falls Marathon Gets International Recognition

ONE of Zimbabwe’s most prestigious races, the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon is going to be a bigger, grander and internationally recognised affair this year and in 2021 after being recognised as a qualifier to the Olympic Games and the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships.

The 2020 edition of the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, which draws international participants, was initially scheduled to take place on July 5 at the popular tourist resort.

However due to the coronavirus pandemic which has led to cancellations and postponements of major sporting events both locally and around the world, the organisers were forced to reschedule this year’s event to 13th December.

The organisers revealed that the change of the dates of the race to December, this year’s marathon will become part of the international qualifying series for the Olympics and the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships.

“It is with great delight that we can announce that due to the new date change to December, the 2020 and the 2021 Econet Vic Falls Marathon falls within the 3rd edition of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda Age Group World Ranking Series and is officially recognized as a qualifier to this highly acclaimed International Series,” Tim Hadzima, Executive Director of Abbott World Marathon Majors said in a statement.

“The interest and excitement around the series continues to build, and as the second edition is in full swing, we are busy working to expand into new locations for the third year. With the increase in world ranking races, we hope to give even more runners the chance to find a qualifying event within reach, and realize their dream of trying to make it to the world championships. Thank you to all our partners and race organizers who help us develop the opportunities for age group runners across the globe,” he said.

The qualifying period for the 3rd edition of the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships runs from October 12 to December 31.

The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, staged around the sight of one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world, has become an important calendar date for marathon runners and fitness enthusiasts from around the world and for thousands of Zimbabweans.

It has also become a major draw card for local and foreign tourists.

The marathon is now in its 14th year and continues to grow, having attracted about 3 500 entries last year, with nearly half of the athletes coming from out of Zimbabwe, and some travelling from as far afield as Australia.

Besides the 42.2km full marathon, other events on offer include the 21.1km half marathon and 7.5km fun run.

The races start in Livingstone Road between the Avis garage and Zimpost car park and end at Victoria Falls Primary School.

Last year, Christopher Gondwe won the race in two hours 25 minutes and 36 seconds beating teammate Nkosiyazi Sibanda who fell short of winning a sixth title. Sibanda finished in two hours 27 minutes and three seconds, six minutes slower than his 2018’s two hours 21 minutes and eight seconds finish that won him the race.

In the females 42km category, Felistas Chitoshi was the winner after finishing in two hours 52 minutes and 31 seconds, ahead of veterans Chiyedza Chokore and Tabitha Tsatsa who romped home in two hours 58 minutes and 2 seconds and three hours six minutes and six seconds respectively.

A total of 3 518 runners from 43 countries including Zimbabwe took part last year.

Source: Econet Victoria Falls Marathon Gets International Recognition (10/06/20)

Victoria Falls rations water

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
VICTORIA Falls has started rationing water as the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) is struggling to provide enough supplies due to a broken-down pump.

Zinwa is responsible for pumping bulk raw water from the Zambezi River into a reservoir from which the Victoria Falls Municipality treats and distributes to residents.

For the past two weeks, residents in some parts of Victoria Falls have been accessing the precious liquid only at night, at a time when it is important to access water for hand-washing to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Victoria Falls Municipality public relations and economic development officer Mr Ngqabutho Moyo said less water was being purified which has led to rationing.

“We are having erratic water supplies because we are experiencing challenges of supplies of raw water from the river due to a Zinwa water pump breakdown. This has led to less water being purified and a failure to meet demand. As a result, water is being rationed to ensure that every part of the town gets water,” said Mr Moyo.

He said council is engaging Zinwa to rectify the challenge as a matter of urgency.

The municipality is also working on rolling out a $12 million Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) programme to improve water management.

Zinwa, which has over the years come under fire from Victoria Falls residents over recurrent erratic water supplies, has said it is attending to the breakdown.

The water authority’s corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said repairs were under way to address the problem.

“Victoria Falls raw water pump house operates with two pumps. Only one pump operates at a time while the other will be on standby. Currently the duty pump is broken down and the standby pump is pumping between 740 cubic metres and 750 cubic metres against a demand of between 800 cubic metres and 850 cubic metres per day,” said Mrs Munyonga.

“Repairs to the duty pump are underway with installation of a new electric motor already completed. This will pave way for the reintroduction of the duty pump, which will help restore normal supplies to the town.”

She said the standby pump was installed to ensure constant supplies to Victoria Falls.

“The logic behind the two pumps is to ensure that pumping is maintained even in the event of the duty pump breaking down or being serviced.

“Zinwa has ably supplied sufficient quantities of raw water to Victoria Falls,” added Mrs Munyonga.-@ncubeleon

Source: Victoria Falls rations water (09/06/20)

State House is giving in to Chinese over Vic Falls site – Mukuni

APART from demolishing houses, the government also intends to erase a church, bus station and a market at the Victoria Falls after offering the land to a Chinese firm, says chief Mukuni.

He said Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Palm Grove area was on Zesco’s Victoria Falls Power Station land.

In January 2017, chief Mukuni, whose chiefdom cuts across Livingstone, Kazungula and Zimba, fought off attempts by State House to offer the curio market at the Victoria Falls to a named Chinese who sought to erect a Spin-Sational Ferris Wheel.

The government using Zesco in an eviction notice dated April 29, 2020 to about 22 employees, says the houses are in the Musi-oa-Tunya National Park.

“NOTICE OF EVICTION: Kindly be informed that the area housing the house you reside in is a national park, namely the Musi-oa-Tunya National Park not suitable for human habitation in terms of the Zambia Wildlife Act Number 14 of 2015. We are therefore giving you three months notice to vacate the house at hand with effect from 7 May 2020,” stated the letter signed by Zesco director of legal services McRobby Chiwela and copied to the utility’s managing director Victor Mundende.

Chiwela said the lease agreement allowing tenants to occupy the houses had also expired, adding that the three months notice was just a “humanitarian gesture”.

The letter was also copied to the director power generation, director human resources and the two labour movements, namely POGAWUZ and MESAWU.

But a wildlife department senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said there has never been any concern raised by the department over the housing units at the power station.

However, Mukuni said the government was under pressure from a Chinese national who intends to put up tourism related development around the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site.

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

Mukuni added that Livingstone had a lot of land for development which could be given to the Chinese.

He said such pieces of land exist in the Musi-oa-Tunya National Park.

“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.

Source: State House is giving in to a Chinese over Vic Falls site – Mukuni (05/06/2)

Latest news on this story:
Zesco sells Vic Falls land for proposed tourism ferris wheel development (17/06/20)

Chief Mukuni claims abuse of office by Zesco in relation to potential tourism development (20/06/20)

Background: Zambia sells land near Victoria Falls for Chinese to erect observation ferris wheel (02/11/17)

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)

Suspected Poacher Collapses, Dies At Dete Police Station

A BULAWAYO man who was suspected of poaching reportedly collapsed and died at the entrance of Dete police charge office in Matabeleland North where he had been moved after his arrest.

According to a police report compiled after his death, Brighton Munkombwe, 30, of Douglasdale in Bulawayo, collapsed at the entrance of the police charge office last Friday.

He was arrested after he was found with three kilogrammes of the deadly cyanide granules in a bag when he was cornered by an anti-poaching reaction team of police and rangers.

The reaction team had received a tip-off that Munkombwe wanted to buy ivory from some villagers and laid an ambush in Gwayi.

Four villagers who Munkombwe was suspected to have been trading with fled, leaving two elephant tusks when the reaction team pounced on them at midnight. This happened about eight kilometres away from Gwayi shops along the Gwayi-Lusulu road.

“On 29 May at 3 pm the informant who is employed by the Zimbabwe National Parks as a ranger received a tip-off that Munkombwe was trading in ivory at Hankano area in Gwayi,” read a report made by Zimbabwe National Parks senior ranger Enos Mudenda of Hwange Main Camp.

“The informant teamed up with two support unit police officers and four other rangers and laid an ambush at 7 pm along Gwayi-Lusulu road,”

It is alleged at around midnight, Munkombwe and four unidentified men appeared from the direction of Gwayi business centre carrying a pair of ivory.”

The reaction team tried to arrest the five but they fled into the darkness.

Munkombwe, who was carrying a black satchel, failed to keep speed and was arrested. The recovered bag had three kilogrammes of cyanide.

The reaction team recovered two elephant tusks abandoned by the four suspects when they fled.

The team took Munkombwe to Dete Police Station but he collapsed on arrival at the entrance to the charge office.

The police rushed Munkombwe to Dete Clinic for Covid-19 screening and it was discovered that his temperature had dropped to 32 degrees Celsius.

A report of sudden death was made and the body was taken to Hwange Colliery Hospital before being transferred to Bulawayo for a postmortem. The results of the postmortem could not be established.

Source: Suspected Poacher Collapses, Dies At Dete Police Station (04/06/20)

Thieves steal US$50 000 worth of solar panels at Hwange National Park

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THIEVES have stolen about US$50 000 worth of solar panels installed to pump water for wildlife in at Hwange National Park.

The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has offered a reward of US$2 500 for information leading to recovery of the panels and apprehension of suspects.

The game park is home to wild animals like elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes and rhinos that draw tourists from around the world.

Vast stretches of the scenic animal sanctuary use borehole water and about 80 percent of the boreholes are solar powered.

Without solar power, thousands of animals may succumb to thirst and this may affect one of the country’s greatest tourist drawcards.

In 2018, national parks received 957 752 tourists.

The tourism sector is estimated to have generated $1,050 billion in receipts from international tourists, marking a seven percent growth from $917 million in 2017.

Zimbabwe recorded 2,6 million international tourist arrivals in 2018, 6 percent up from 2,4 million received in 2017.

Zimparks spokesperson Mr Tinashe Farawo yesterday said: “We have a problem of people who are stealing solar panels. We have recorded several incidents where solar panels have been stolen and we are worried that if we continue losing solar panels at this rate, we may not be able to continue pumping water for wildlife.”

He said in some cases the solar panels were destroyed by elephants at watering holes.

“We have lost US$50 000 worth of solar panels and this means we can’t pump water for animals if this continues. We are offering a reward for information that can lead us to recover the property or arrest suspects,” said Mr Farawo.

ZimParks installed solar power on a majority of boreholes especially in Hwange National Park with the help of conservation partners including tourism players, which is now incapacitated by the Covid-19 induced lockdowns.

Sources told the Chronicle that some villagers from surrounding communities working with suspected poachers from Zambia are responsible for vandalism of the solar panels in the national park.

Mr Farawo could not be drawn into commenting about the issue, saying investigations are in progress.

Meanwhile, Mr Farawo said the wildlife authority is on high alert following mysterious death of elephants in Botswana’s Okavango Delta where 110 jumbos had been reported dead last Friday since the start of last month.

Wildlife from the two countries freely migrate across borders.

According to Botswana media, wildlife officials ruled out poaching and poisoning as no ivory was taken. Initial test results also ruled out anthrax leaving the country in mystery about the cause of death.

Botswana has the world’s largest elephant population, at more than 130,000.

Last year dozens of jumbos died both in Zimbabwe and Botswana due to hunger.

Mr Farawo said no elephant deaths have been recorded in Zimbabwe so far.

“On that one there will be need for scientific research but for now we haven’t recorded any incidents. Around this time last year, we had recorded some elephant death incidents but this year nothing has happened hence we are not yet worried but we are monitoring,” he said.

Source: Thieves steal US$50 000 worth of solar panels at Hwange National Park (03/06/20)

Victoria Falls Old people’s home falls on hard times

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

CHINOTIMBA Old People’s Home in Victoria Falls is now failing to provide decent meals for 15 elderly people housed at the facility.

Sometimes the home skips a meal while relish is now limited to soya chunks and vegetables.

The old people’s home used to get donations from individuals, hotels, tour operators, tourists, churches and schools who are now not helping as they have been incapacitated by Covid-19 restrictions.

Some doctors from Victoria Falls Hospital who used to take turns to visit the home during weekends have also stopped because of commitments in the fight against Covid-19.

A Chronicle news crew visited the home and spoke to members of the board who said the elderly lack access to medication and are facing food shortages.

“We no longer have any company coming to donate or spend time because of the lockdown caused by Covid-19. It’s now tough for us and we are just surviving by grace. Our major challenge is on medication and food, especially relish,” said Mr James Nyoni, a board member.

“We need gloves, medication including pain killers and adult diapers because some are bed-ridden. These are elderly people who are actually sick and we should be having pain killers at any given time.

Five of them are on mental health treatment and we have to buy pills and injections every month which needs foreign currency that we don’t have. On average each injection or tablet is US$10 per month per person.”

He said before the lockdown they used to get some forex from tour operators, hotels and tourists who visited the home and would use the money to buy medication in Zambia where it’s cheaper than locally.

Mr Nyoni commended TM Pick n Pay supermarket which has maintained a RTGS$2 000 monthly grocery voucher donation which they use to buy mealie-meal.

He said the home desperately needs assistance.

“As much as we observe lockdown rules, we desperately appeal for donations. If we don’t get help some might die of hunger. We have no stocks anymore as the lockdown closed out people who used to help us hence, we are just managing the little we have to survive. Each time we are not sure if we would manage to serve them the next meal,” said Mr Nyoni.

The home has a vegetable garden but baboons destroy the crops.

They are also struggling to refill a gas tank which they use for cooking.

Source:  Victoria Falls Old people’s home falls on hard times (30/05/20)