Suspended town clerk gets windfall

 VICTORIA Falls city fathers have resolved to pay suspended town clerk Ronnie Dube $200 000 in allowances, about $80 000 more than his basic salary,  it has been established.

Dube was suspended on April 28 by mayor Somveli Dlamini on charges of gross incompetence, corruption, abuse of office and causing the local authority to lose revenue.

He was suspended without pay and other benefits pending investigations into charges against him.

Dlamini cited Section 139 (3) (a) of the Urban Council Act in denying Dube any salary and benefits as stated in the contract

Councillors, however, revoked his suspension arguing the mayor acted unilaterally, but Local Government minister July Moyo in a follow-up memo dated May 14 confirmed the suspension.

Moyo’s communication followed Dube’s arrest and subsequent release on $50 000 bail on criminal of abuse of office charges.

The local authority is yet to investigate Dube on the slew of charges he faces, according to the latest minutes of a full council meeting where city fathers deliberated on setting up a commission of inquiry.

According to the report of the full council meeting held on June 1 spilling over to the next day, Victoria Falls city fathers also resolved to pay Dube $200 000 in allowances whilst on suspension.

“The human resources official (HRO) advised the meeting that since council suspended the town clerk in terms of the Urban Council’s Act wherein there is no provision for the payment of a salary and benefits, but an allowance that council should fix, it would be a better option to proceed using the Urban Council’s Act,” the report reads in part.

The suspension of Dube, a former Tsholotsho Rural District CEO, came a month after the local authority renewed his contract by another five years after receiving “praise for his work ethic.”

“For the sake of clarity, Section 139 subsection (5) stipulates that during the period of his suspension, he shall not be entitled to his salary or wages in respect of that period, but he may be paid such an allowance, not exceeding the amount of his salary or wages, as the council may fix,” the report adds.

“A member wanted to know the town clerk’s salary so they could fix his allowance.

“The HRO noted that the current basic salary is $115 337, 50 and the net is $226 319, 21.

“A member proposed that the town clerk be given a flat allowance of $200 000 subject to tax.

“The proposal was seconded. It was agreed that the town clerk’s suspension conditions be amended to allow suspension with a flat monthly allowance.”

Under Dube, Victoria Falls was granted a city status in December 2020 to become the first city in Matabeleland North and the second after Bulawayo in the whole southern region.

Dube served as Victoria Falls’ first chamber secretary between 2002 and 2005.

He joined the local authority on  December 2016 1replacing Christopher Dube, the current Bulawayo town clerk.

Dube, who also served as the Gwanda municipality chamber secretary, and left the Tsholotsho RDC under a cloud following reports of corruption that were levelled against him.

Source: Suspended town clerk gets windfall (20/06/2021)

Read More:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (30th April 2021) Town Clerk Dube suspended.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (14th May 2021) Victoria Falls Councillors Accuse Minister July Moyo Of Meddling.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (20th June 2021) Suspended town clerk gets windfall.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (26th June 2021) Vic Falls Town Clerk Ronnie Dube reinstated 

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th June 2021) Victoria Falls townclerk reinstated.

ZimParks Sues Army Company US$142 000 Over Unpaid Use Chalets

 ZIMBABWE Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has taken to court a company operated by the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Rusununguko Nkululeko demanding US$142 530 for chalets leased to the latter in 2018.

ZimParks is also suing Landela Safaris for US$45 000 over a similar deal in which it leased View Point Site in Victoria Falls to the private company.

In summons filed separately by ZimParks at the High Court, the agreement between the national wildlife operator and Rusununguko was entered into in 2018.

In terms of the agreement, ZimParks granted a photographic lease agreement for chalets in the Zambezi National Park to the defendant.

The court application says in terms of the agreement, US$60 000 was for the right to lease the site and was payable in equal installments over the first five years of the lease starting in January 2018.

This was in addition to annual lease fees of US$35 000 payable from January 2018 to December 2021, and payable in advance before the first day of January each year.

It was also agreed all the amounts due each year were to attract interest at the rate of 12% per annum at the interbank market interest rates.

However, despite demand letters of demand from ZimParks, Rusununguko Nkululeko failed to pay the amount.

Meanwhile, regarding Landela Safaris, in 2018, the two parties entered into a written agreement in terms of which ZimParks granted the defendant the right to lease View Point Site in Victoria Falls for the purpose of photographic safari use.

“In terms of the agreement, Landela Safaris was bound to pay annual lease fees in the sum of US$45 000 starting from 2019, and payable or before the first of January each year.

All amounts due in each year were to attract interest at the rate of 12% with Value Added Tax (VAT) added to the above amounts due.

However, according to court papers, Landela Safaris failed to pay a total of US$154 800 to ZimParks as of January 2021.

“Wherefore the plaintiff claims judgment in the sum of US$154 800 payable in Zimbabwean dollars at the authorised prevailing rate of exchange in terms of the Exchange Control Act, holding over damages calculated at the rate of US$3 750 per month, interest on the capital sum of US$1 54 800 calculated at the rate of 12% per annum,” reads part of the lawsuit.

Both matters are yet to be heard.

Source: ZimParks Sues Army Company US$142 000 Over Unpaid Use Chalets (15/06/21)

See Also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (16th June 2021) ZimParks Sues Army Company US$142 000 Over Unpaid Use Chalets.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th June 2021) Old Mutual to build four-star hotel in Victoria Falls.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (18th June 2018) Parks authority revises stinky deal.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24th January 2018) PRAZ cancels Zimparks, Adage lease.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd April 2017) Massive corruption unearthed at National Parks.

 

 

Old Mutual to build four-star hotel in Victoria Falls

 Property giant, Old Mutual Zimbabwe, through its life assurance arm, Old Mutual Life Assurance Company Zimbabwe (OMLAC), is set to construct a four-star hotel in Victoria Falls city, a Government minister revealed on Tuesday.

The deal comes as Government is working on a feasibility study for the development of bulk infrastructure in the resort city.

Victoria Falls has been designated as a Special Economic Zone, and the feasibility study will inform the viability of the proposed economic activities and infrastructure needs.

To finance and undertake the feasibility study, which will be conducted in the Masuwe Area of the Victoria Falls Economic Zone, OMLAC reportedly agreed to meet the costs amounting to US$430 948,29.

Briefing the media during a post Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa  said in exchange for the funding, Government will allocate the corporate giant 55 hectares of land under lease.

Once OMLAC recovers the cost of the feasibility study (US$430 948,29) it will then have to pay rentals for the land, Minister Mutsvangwa pointed out.

Old Mutual, which is already one of the country’s biggest property owners, is reportedly planning to construct “a four-star hotel with a 5 000-seater conference centre, a hospital facility, a golf course, and a shopping mall”.

Interestingly the latest development comes as Old Mutual is also involved in the construction of the Palm River Hotel in Victoria Falls.

Spencers Creek Pvt Ltd in partnership with Old Mutual Zimbabwe invested approximately US$24,6 million in land and construction of the 71-room four-star hotel, which is expected to commence operations this July.

Meanwhile, in another development earmarked for the resort city, Government also approved a joint venture between the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Zambezi Crescent (Pvt) Ltd.

The two entities are in partnership for the revamping and upgrading of all of ZimParks’ lodges at Zambezi Camp to an agreed market-related status at a total cost of US$3 009 000.

This amount will be contributed by Zambezi Crescent (Pvt) Ltd while ZimParks will provide exclusive rights to the use of the lodges at the camp and their surroundings.

The project will be implemented as a joint venture over 25 years with the parties sharing profits on a 50/50 basis, according to Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said the joint venture is set to significantly improve the performance of the Zambezi Camp Lodges which are strategically located along the banks of the Zambezi, but have been performing poorly over the years. 

Source: Old Mutual to build four-star hotel in Victoria Falls (03/06/21)

See Also

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (20th December 2025) Victoria Falls Set to See Tourism Growth as Zambezi Crescent Gains Full Control of Malachite Camp.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (18th June 2018) Parks authority revises stinky deal.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24th January 2018) PRAZ cancels Zimparks, Adage lease.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd April 2017) Massive corruption unearthed at National Parks.

 

Old Mutual, Govt strike Vic Falls land deal for new hotel project

 Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (OMLAC) has reached a land deal with the government that moves the company a step further in its plans to build a new hotel and conference centre in Victoria Falls.

Government will grant the company a lease on over 55 hectares of land in the Victoria Falls Special Economic Zone (SEZ). In exchange, OMLAC will undertake a US$430 948 feasibility study on the development of infrastructure in the Masuwe area of Victoria Falls.

Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company (MOTDC), an arm of the Ministry of Tourism, will represent government’s interests in the deal, Cabinet said on Tuesday.

“In lieu of payment for the feasibility study cost, MOTDC will grant OMLAC a lease over 55 hectares of land for construction of a 4-star hotel with a 5 000-seater conference centre, a hospital facility, a golf course, and a shopping mall on land to be allocated by Government. OMLAC will then have to pay rentals after recovery of the cost of the feasibility study,” Cabinet announced.

Old Mutual is already one of the country’s largest property owners; its portfolio comprises over 500 000 square metres of property. Among these are Westgate, Highglen, Chitungwiza Centre and Nkulumane Shopping Centre.

But with slow commercial growth in the big cities, Old Mutual is diversifying away from Harare and Bulawayo. The company has previously announced that it is looking to towns such as Victoria Falls and Ngezi, where new mining developments are planned.

ALSO READ: Anticipating platinum and tourism boom, Old Mutual buys property in Ngezi, Vic Falls

In its latest financial results for 2020, Old Mutual noted the sluggish pace of new property projects in the market.

“Property market performance largely tracked exchange rate movements, with underlying property valuations relying on inputs based in a stable currency. New investments in capital projects were lower than expected reflecting the effect of both the economy’s inability to foster enough confidence to attract long term capital at the right scale and COVID19-induced limitations,” chairman Kumbirai Katsande says.

In 2019, Masuwe was one of five special economic zones demarcated by government. It measures 1 200 hectares, onto which the Ministry of Tourism plans to attract new developers.

Separately, ZimParks has reached a US$3 million deal with Zambezi Crescent to upgrade its lodges at Zambezi Camp in Victoria Falls.

“This amount will be contributed by the investor, while ZimParks will provide exclusive rights to the use of the lodges at the camp and their surroundings. The project will be implemented as a joint venture over 25 years with the parties sharing profits on a 50/50 basis,” Cabinet says.

ZimParks has dozens of lodges across the country in its national parks, but many lack modern facilities due to years of under-investment. The Parks authority’s facilities are popular with budget travelers, but the deal with Zambezi Crescent may see the refurbished facilities at Zambezi Camp catering more for the premium market.

Zambezi Crescent, owned by Mark and Amanda Bosch, runs two properties in Victoria Falls; the River Lodge Luxury Tented Suites and the Victoria Falls River Lodge. Both are exclusive properties targeted at the high-end tourist market.

Source: Old Mutual, Govt strike Vic Falls land deal for new hotel project (01/06/21)

See Also:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th September 2019) Old Mutual to construct ‘massive’ hotel in Vic Falls.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24th March 2023a) How a ‘Gold Mafia’ is looting Southern Africa, washing dirty cash.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (24th March 2023b) Govt okays Victoria Falls SEZ.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (26th March 2023) Old Mutual gets Vic Falls.

Victoria Falls Councillors Accuse Minister July Moyo Of Meddling

 VICTORIA FALLS councillors have accused Local Government Minister July Moyo of interfering with the local authority’s day to day running thereby causing disharmony among the city fathers.

There was a near fallout between the mayor Somvelo Dlamini and Ward 7 councillor Prince Thuso Moyo who accused the city premier of using decisions from “kangaroo meetings” to run the authority.

Dlamini had to tell Moyo to “at least respect the office of the mayor” if at all he could not respect him as an individual and deputy mayor Patricia Mwale had to intervene.

Some councillors blamed the mayor for making decisions based on phone call instructions purportedly from minister Moyo in contrast to the dictates of local governance where every resolution should be written down.

Verbal decisions that are used to override council resolutions have reportedly caused confusion and infighting that has been rocking council.

Speaking during a full council meeting, councillors accused Moyo of stopping the municipality over the phone from selling stands.

The issue was fuelled by an announcement in the boardroom that Minister Moyo had written to council informing them about his imminent visit to the local authority to address the raging issue of budget which residents want reviewed downwards.

“Waiting will not help, I thought we were going to discuss the letter, then come up with a date if the minister is saying he is coming,” said Ward 3 councillor Lungile Nyoni.

Ward 10 councillor Nkanyiso Sibindi said: “We are councillors and we make decisions. So we should come up with a decision today and when the minister comes to tell us his side, we will tell him that we are councillors and we were elected.”

Cllr Moyo who chairs the finance committee which is charge of budget formulation interjected saying the confusion within council had escalated.

“The problem here is that we are confused by things happening. The mayor and Town Clerk are the face of council which is why when you told us that the minister is coming, we listened as your children.

“The problem which brings us confusion is that when we do things, we are told that the minister said this and that without anything written down. There is no written communication.

“You advertise stands and you hear that the minister has said over the phone that we should not sell but there won’t be any written communication.

“I have been saying this several times and now the statement that you said when we started the meeting is now contradicting what’s being suggested here that we as councillors have power to make decisions. Surely if we do that, he will come on us. What I am saying is we are now confused,” said Cllr Moyo.

He said the impression among stakeholders was that himself as chair of finance committee was against residents’ plea for review of the budget.

The mayor has been in a cold war with Town Clerk Ronnie Dube who was on Monday released from remand prison on $50 000 bail for a charge of abuse of office.

Councillors accuse mayor Dlamini of plotting against Dube.

“Tell us what we should do because you are the one who meets the minister, some of us will never meet him.

“Guide us because we are tired of kangaroo meetings and everything that is happening yet with nothing written down. We only hear there are phone calls being made.

“This is an organisation, let’s do things procedurally. We are not humiliating anyone here,” said Cllr Moyo.

The mayor hit back telling Cllr Moyo that he was off tracking.

“Let me guide you councillor I think you are getting out of the way. This is not a platform to demean or show disrespect or to humiliate each other. If you don’t respect me, respect my office, you have to respect the office of the mayor.

“All I said was that we should be seen doing something on this budget thing as soon as possible.

“The minister’s visit wont cancel our process, we are going to do our process, when he comes, he is going to address councillors, management and residents. So, he doesn’t interfere with our process,” said Dlamini.

The deputy mayor quickly intervened saying: the mayor is peaking colleagues let’s listen” and the statement cut off other councillors who had started interjecting.

Source: Victoria Falls Councillors Accuse Minister July Moyo Of Meddling (13/05/2021)

Read More:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (30th April 2021) Town Clerk Dube suspended.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (14th May 2021) Victoria Falls Councillors Accuse Minister July Moyo Of Meddling.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (26th June 2021) Vic Falls Town Clerk Ronnie Dube reinstated 

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th June 2021) Victoria Falls townclerk reinstated.

Zimbabwe: Govt Identifies Land for New Batoka City

By Leonard Ncube

Victoria Falls Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT has identified land where a new city will be built as part of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project outside Victoria Falls, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Engineer Gloria Magombo has said.

The coming in of Batoka City will be a major milestone and fits well with the broader Matabeleland North development, which has in the recent past become an economic epicenter in the country following designation of Victoria Falls as a Special Economic Zone, and eventual conferment of city status to the municipality.

Zimbabwe and Zambia are implementing the US$4 billion hydropower project in the gorges along Zambezi River where two 1 200MW power plants on either side of the river, a substation, transmission as well as a new settlement and road infrastructure, will be built.

Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) jointly owned by the two governments is the implementing agent and in 2019 chose General Electric and Power Corporation of China to build the power plant, about 50km downstream from Victoria Falls City.

A steering council of ministers comprising Ministries of Finance and Energy from both countries was set up to spearhead the project, which was first planned in 1992 but was delayed by an impasse over colonial era debts and community resistance.

Work had been scheduled to start in 2020 but was delayed because of the adverse effects of coronavirus.

However, public consultations on the environmental disclosure have been completed and inputs submitted to the relevant authority and work is underway to start pre-construction work for the new Batoka City, a key component of the Government's drive to steer development in Matabeleland North, particularly the Victoria Falls-Hwange-Binga corridor.

Communities around the Batoka project finally agreed to the project after extensive consultation by ZRA and both governments. About 4 000 direct plus 6 000 indirect jobs are set to be created.

Eng Magombo said the land has been secured and authorities from Hwange Rural District Council, Zimbabwe Power Company and Ministry of Local Government and Public Works are on the ground making preparatory work.

She, however, could not reveal the exact location of the land and its size.

"There is a lot of work that is being done in terms of the environmental disclosure after the finalization of the Environmental Impact Assessment," she said. "Consultations were done during the Covid-19 lockdown period and all the input from various stakeholders has been received.

"But there is also the issue of land for the project as you are aware last year Zimbabwe did approve the cession of the land but the land is now available.

"ZPC together with Hwange RDC and Local Government Ministry are looking at coming up with a plan in terms of how the whole city will then be planned and there is a lot of work, which is already going on into that part of the programme," said Eng Magombo.

She said over and above other developments, there has been appointment of various advisers with the African Legal Support providing some of the advice on evaluation of documents, which have been submitted by the contractor.

The two governments have also appointed a technical advisor in an effort to ensure that there are no grey areas.

"There is a lot of work going on in terms of finalizing preparation and structuring of the project, which is being done between ZRA as the main coordinator and implementing agent of both governments and steering committee comprising both ministries of energy and finance and we believe that in the next quarter we will be announcing when the ground-breaking and other milestones will be achieved," she said.

Batoka Dam wall will be 175m high after it was reduced as a result of concerns by tour operators particularly rafting companies in Victoria Falls that water backflow would hurt their operations.

The power plant is expected to take about five years to complete but electricity generation should start in the third year.

The Second Republic is focused on driving robust economic transformation of the province through unlocking its vast investment potential so that it contributes more to the mainstream economy.

Several projects, which had been in limbo have been reactivated and in various stages of completion. Among these are the giant Gwayi-Shangani Dam, Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme, Hwange Power Station' units 7 and 8 expansion, Lupane Provincial Hospital and Elitsheni Government Complex.

The Second Republic has also moved swiftly to operationalize the Victoria Falls SEZ and established the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, capping the city as a financial and tourism hub of Zimbabwe.

The establishment of Batoka City, together with the planned Masue City near Victoria Falls will buttress the combined development of Matabeleland North as a key component for transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Read the original article on The Herald. (07/05/21)

 

I’m still the boss: Vic Falls town clerk

 VIC­TO­RIA Falls town clerk Ron­nie Dube yes­ter­day in­sisted that he re­mains the coun­cil boss, a day af­ter re­ports emerged that he had been sus­pended on charges of cor­rup­tion, abuse of of­fice and in­com­pe­tence.

The sus­pen­sion of Dube, a for­mer chief ex­ec­u­tive of the Tsholot­sho Ru­ral District (RDC), comes a month af­ter the lo­cal au­thor­ity re­newed his con­tract by another five years af­ter re­ceiv­ing praise on his work­man­ship.

Un­der Dube, Vic­to­ria Falls was granted city sta­tus in De­cem­ber 2020 to be­come the first city in Mata­bele­land North and the sec­ond af­ter Bulawayo in the whole south­ern re­gion.

How­ever, Vic­to­ria Falls mayor Somveli Dlamini said Dube has been sus­pended with im­me­di­ate ef­fect, and with no pay and ben­e­fits pend­ing in­ves­ti­ga­tions.

“It ap­pears to me there are acts of mis­con­duct or omis­sion in­con­sis­tent with the ful­fil­ment of the ex­press or im­plied con­di­tions of your con­tract or du­ties that need to be in­ves­ti­gated,” Dlamini wrote in a let­ter dated April 28.

“It is pru­dent that you are sus­pended from duty and of­fice of town clerk to pave the way for in­ves­ti­ga­tions which when con­cluded will guide the coun­cil on the course of ac­tion to take.”

Dlamini cited sec­tion 139(3)(a) of the Ur­ban Coun­cil Act in deny­ing Dube any salary and ben­e­fits as stated in the con­tract.

In an in­ter­view yes­ter­day, Dube was not amused by his “sus­pen­sion” as he in­sisted that he re­mains the re­sort town’s town clerk.

“As far as I am con­cerned, the sus­pen­sion I know of is that cir­cu­lat­ing on so­cial me­dia. I have not re­ceived any let­ter on that and such, I have dis­re­garded the so-called sus­pen­sion as I con­tinue with my of­fi­cial du­ties.

The mayor never con­vened any spe­cial coun­cil meet­ing on this so-called sus­pen­sion. I re­main the town clerk,” Dube said.

The Vic­to­ria Falls mayor could not be reached for com­ment.

Dube is not new to the Vic­to­ria Falls Mu­nic­i­pal­ity af­ter hav­ing served as the town’s first cham­ber sec­re­tary be­tween 2002 and 2005.

He re­joined the lo­cal au­thor­ity on De­cem­ber 1, 2016 re­plac­ing Christopher Dube, the cur­rent Bulawayo town clerk. Dube also served as the Gwanda Mu­nic­i­pal­ity cham­ber sec­re­tary and left the Tsholot­sho RDC un­der a cloud.

Source: I’m still the boss: Vic Falls town clerk (01/05/2021)