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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But who is who in council?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(1st September 2023)

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

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

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

to experience the lunar rainbow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The report concludes:

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

Read More

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

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

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

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

References

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

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

Is the World Heritage Committee kicking the can down the road while looking the other way?

(31st August 2023) 

The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (UNESCO, 2023)

The World Heritage Committee have released the provisional agenda and draft documents relating to their forthcoming 45th Session to be held at Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over 10th-25th September 2023. The documents are available online on the UNESCO website here.

Among the reports is an update on the State of Conservation for the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site (WHC.23.45.COM.7BAdd, pages 16-19 - we've pulled the text from this rather lengthy document into a separate pdf available to download here).

The update includes the following information relating to the development of new tourism facilities within the Highly Ecologically Sensitive Zone (HESZ) of the Site, and which prevents all new infrastructure developments in these areas.

"In a letter dated 14 March 2023, the World Heritage Centre transmitted to the State Party of Zimbabwe, for comments, third-party information reporting the issuing of a permit for two commercial sites for tourism developments within areas of the property that are recognized as highly sensitive zones according to the JIMP [Joint Integrated Management Plan]. No response has been received from the State Party at the time of writing this report." (World Heritage Committee, 2023, p.17)

The Committee appear to have therefore regrettably missed an opportunity to ensure a response to this issue in time for their 45th Session.

The update continues:

"The property continues to face serious threats from individual and cumulative infrastructure developments within the property, its buffer zone and its wider setting... Contrary to the Committee’s request to the State Party of Zambia to halt the Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort Hotel development, construction has continued, and the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission identified numerous shortfalls and non-compliance with World Heritage status, the JIMP, and the State Party’s own legal regulations. Other proposed developments in the property and its buffer zone have not been assessed as to their cumulative impacts on the OUV [Outstanding Universal Values], in response to which the mission has recommended the States Parties produce a blueprint to guide strategic level planning. It should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, together with the individual ESIAs [Environmental and Social Impact Assessments] of the developments proposed for approval, prior to authorizing any further projects." (World Heritage Committee, 2023, p.17-8)

The update concludes by requesting a revised State of Conservation Report to be presented to the Committee by 1 February 2024 in advance of the Committee's 46th Session to be held later that year.

We believe the combined mismanagement and increasing tourism development pressures highlighted over the last few years raise serious concerns over the future viability of the World Heritage Site with serious negative impacts on the Site’s Outstanding Universal Values already caused by recent developments along Zambezi Drive (the 'rock pool' and Baines Restaurant). While by the Committee’s own admission the monitoring mission “identified numerous shortfalls and non-compliance with World Heritage status” (World Heritage Committee, 2023) it appears that the Committee is now itself in danger of not acting sufficiently to address these concerns.

The management of Site is in urgent need of detailed review and increasing scrutiny is needed to monitor and mitigate the negative impacts and pressures affecting the Site - and in which the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority appear themselves to be complicit in authorising and agreeing concession licenses within the HESZ. Failure to react strongly to the current wave of developments which threaten the Site will be seen as a green light to the State Parties to continue the commercial development, and ecological degradation, of the Site.

Draft Decision

We believe the Committee’s draft decisions, published in advance of the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee to be held in September 2023 are inadequate to address the serious and urgent problems facing the Site from developments which have already been authorised by Park Authorities, especially on the southern, Zimbabwean, side of the property. The wording of decision point 5 is particularly concerning:

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

The wording of the current draft request for the ‘blueprint’ overview “together with the individual ESIAs of the developments proposed for approval, prior to authorizing any further projects” appears to do nothing in terms of addressing the current wave of unsuitable developments within the WHS HESZ and identified in this report, which have already been authorised and agreed between the Zimbabwean National Park Authority and private tourism operators.

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

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

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

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

Wider Picture

The Victoria Falls World Heritage Site is not alone in being ignored by the World Heritage Committee. Out of eight sites which received monitoring missions during 2022 and 2023 (four of which were in Africa), none have made the draft agenda for discussion. So far only eight sites (including the Okavango Delta, Botswana) have been 'opened' for discussion during the 15 day conference, although there is a long list of sites with many serious issues urgently needing the attention of the Committee - including the flagship sites such as the Acropolis of Athens (Greece), Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania), Historic Cairo (Egypt), Stonehenge (England) and the Doñana National Park (Spain).

More

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

Download the 2023 World Heritage Watch Report for more information and background on World Heritage Sites under threat.

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

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

References

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

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

Ambitious Victoria Falls transformation plan outlined

Victoria Falls is already Zimbabwe’s biggest tourism destination, but wants to ever improve, with the Government promising to continue promoting investments into the tourism city in a variety of non-polluting industries that encourage ever more visitors.

President Mnangagwa conferred city status to Victoria Falls in December 2019 making it the youngest city in the country.

Victoria Falls has also been designated a special economic zone setting the city as the centre for construction of convention centres, state-of-the-art hotels, medical tourism facilities, financial services hub, shopping malls and other facilities offering tourist activities.

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

The special economic zone will stretch to Hwange and Binga districts. In 2020 the Second Republic established the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, the only United States dollar-denominated bourse in the region as part of efforts to implement the zone and the exchange has since attracted 14 listings in its first three years.

Several hotels including Palm River Hotel, Mbano Manor Hotel, Zambezi Boutique, Mpala Jena and others have been built during the first five years of the Second Republic with a number of other projects underway in the city.

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

This includes establishing firms and companies outside the tourism sector.

Speaking recently in the tourism capital, Vice President Chiwenga said a number of countries such as India, China and Russia are interested in investing locally as the country continues to fight sanctions.

“What we want is that Victoria Falls should not just be a place of leisure but have economic activity and the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa will lead this,” he said.

“The infrastructure that has been built here during the Second Republic like Victoria Falls Boutique, Palm River Hotel, Mbano Manor and others are few compared to what is coming. Many countries are interested in coming to work with us,” said VP Chiwenga.

He said the Government was constructing health facilities and pharmacies across the country in every province and Victoria Falls will have a dedicated pharmaceutical centre so that it has medicines ready for tourists as the country promotes medical tourism.

“The President gave you Special Economic Zone status, city status, stock exchange, an art gallery and you have an airport. We want to build non-polluting industries here such as pharmacies and sports facilities,” said Dr Chiwenga.

“We want to build many hospitals so that those from other countries who want to come for treatment while enjoying the natural environment can do so. Victoria Falls should have special magistrates’ courts, a High Court and a Civil Registry to process passports and other documents as we bring services close to the people.”

VP Chiwenga said the city should have its own TV station.

He said while Government is rehabilitating the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road to enhance access to the destination, plans are underway to fix feeder roads including the Victoria Falls-Binga road that goes via Chisuma, Jambezi and Deka along the Zambezi River and Lake Kariba.

The Second Republic’s ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ mantra and policy of engagement and re-engagement have promoted growth despite sanctions imposed on the country by western countries.

In an interview, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said the growth of Victoria Falls will translate to the growth of the whole province.

“Development of Victoria Falls is important to us as a province because it is a tourism hub and as such its growth will be felt across the entire province,” said Minister Moyo.

Source: Ambitious Victoria Falls transformation plan outlined (24/08/24)

The significance and benefits of being on Unesco's World Heritage list

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) released its provisional agenda for the 2023 World Heritage Committee session taking place in September. The organization designates locations and structures around the world as World Heritage sites. It can also designate World Heritage sites as "in danger," signifying that they're threatened by any number of factors, including tourism, development and climate threats.

What are the designations?

Locations deemed World Heritage sites are of "outstanding universal value to humanity" and should be "protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy," according to Unesco. The organization also lists World Heritage in danger, "designed to inform the international community of conditions" that "threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage list and to encourage corrective action."

The World Heritage list is a result of the Unesco Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted in 1972. The treaty sets the guidelines for the consideration of a World Heritage site, and the countries that signed it agree to "conserve not only the World Heritage sites situated on its territory but also to protect its national heritage." These countries have access to a World Heritage fund that provides money annually to "assist states parties in identifying, preserving and promoting World Heritage sites."

Part of the treaty also includes stipulations for adding sites to the danger list. Unesco takes into account the ascertained and potential danger of sites and decides whether to add them to the list. If added, the World Heritage Committee can "allocate immediate assistance from the World Heritage Fund to the endangered property," and "the mere prospect of inscribing a site on this list often proves to be effective and can incite rapid conservation action."

How does designation impact a destination?

The effects of Unesco's designations are a debated topic. A site being added to the list can be a "kiss of death" and "all too often cures the disease by killing the patient," Italian journalist Marco D'Eramo wrote in 2014, coining the term Unescocide. Essentially, in designating a World Heritage site worthy of protection, the destination becomes a place of unsustainable levels of tourism. This was not accounted for in the original treaty, as Unesco "didn't have the scope of international tourism then," Mike Robinson, a professor of cultural heritage at Nottingham Trent University, told The New York Times.

For example, Italy has been struggling with overtourism, especially tourists vandalizing sites like the Roman Colosseum, which has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1980. "Countries with Unesco World Heritage sites spend public funds on protective measures and archaeological ventures," stated Insider. "But vandalism forces those same host countries to spend money on security measures with that funding." It's also difficult for people who "work in cultural heritage and in tourism to find that right balance between protecting objects but not destroying the experience," Leila Amineddoleh, a lawyer specializing in cultural heritage, told Insider.

Venice, Italy, has been proposed to be added to the World Heritage in danger list, as overtourism and climate change have caused the city to remain "under serious threat," per the Times. The draft resolution from Unesco concludes that Italy has not made a "significant level of progress in addressing the persistent and complex issues related in particular to mass tourism, development projects and climate change."

In general, when places are listed, "when they clearly haven't got the right systems and policies and processes in place, there's always a problem," Susan Macdonald, the head of buildings and sites at the Getty Conservation Institute, told the Times.

Can it be helpful?

Being designated as a World Heritage site or being identified as a site in danger can raise awareness of threats that can harm the region. Highway construction was halted near Egypt's Pyramids of Giza, and a dam was stopped from being built above Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, as these were sites seen as having cultural significance globally, per National Geographic. More recently, Australia's Great Barrier Reef was at risk of being placed on the endangered list, but the report opted not to add it to the list, citing "'significant progress being made on climate change, water quality and sustainable fishing — all putting the reef on a stronger and more sustainable path," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a media briefing, Reuters reported.

There's also an incentive for developing nations to get destinations added to the World Heritage list to boost tourism. "The power of the Unesco brand can skyrocket a lesser-known destination to a different level," wrote CNN. Despite the threat of overtourism, a Unesco World Heritage designation can "bring much-needed money, support and global recognition to a deserving destination."

Source: The significance and benefits of being on Unesco's World Heritage list (05/08/2023)

 

Vic Falls cements status as top natural wonder

 VICTORIA FALLS, (CAJ News) – THE Victoria Falls is among the top three must visit natural wonders in the world.

This is according to rankings by Titan Travel.

According to the travel agency, “Vic Falls” is only behind Arches National Park in Utah, United States which is the most popular site and natural wonder of the world, with an overall wonder score of 8,29 out of 10, and the Iguazu Falls, on the border between Argentina and Brazil, second with an overall wonder score of 8,19.

“In third place as one of the best natural wonders of the world is Victoria Falls, with an overall wonder score of 8,14 out of 10,” Titan Travel stated.

“The waterfall forms an awe-inspiring natural border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, scoring highest for its number of Google searches, with more than 2.5 million over the last 12 months,” read part of the findings.

Farai Chimba, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe president, said this was a huge achievement for the country’s top destination.

“There is a need for tourism operators to up the game and have activities and services that match the standards set by the natural wonder,” Chimba said.

Named a World Heritage Site in 1989, Victoria Falls is the country’s biggest tourist drawcard.

It is one of Southern Africa’s most important tourism resources and one of the main revenue generators for Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Stretching 1 708m wide and dropping 99m at its highest point, it is officially one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

Behind Victoria Falls in the Titan Travel rankings include fourth- placed Grand Canyon of America in the US (7,91).

Table Mountain (7,67) in South Africa is fifth.

Other natural wonders in the list top ten are Matterhorn of Switzerland, Mount Everest in Nepal, Great Barrier Reef of Australia, Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, Angel Falls in Venezuela and Milford South in New Zealand.

Lake Nakuru in Kenya has the ignominy of being ranked the world’s most overrated natural wonder with a score of 1,38.

The researchers said while there are several spectacular man-made sights like the Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu or the Great Wall of China for people to visit, the natural wonders remain less explored yet they are filled with awe.

Source: Vic Falls cements status as top natural wonder (03/08/23)

Joint efforts to maximise Victoria Falls tourism earnings

ZIMBABWE and Zambia have renewed their commitment to scaling up collaboration to maximise the economic gains accruing from the mighty Victoria Falls heritage site through enhanced marketing strategies while mainstreaming standard conservation of the resource to ensure future sustainability.

The two neighbouring countries share the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the fascinating seven natural wonders of the entire world due to its outstanding natural beauty.

The facility makes contributions to national income and growth in Zimbabwe and Zambia mainly through tourism and the provision of other related goods and services.

Given the need to conserve and effectively manage the prime world heritage site in a sustainable manner, a Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting between Zambia and Zimbabwe was conducted on Friday at Avani Hotel in Livingstone, Zambia.

Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, and his Zambian counterpart, Rodney Sikumba, and their delegations participated in key deliberations regarding developments and management of the Victoria Falls site.

While both countries reiterated their commitment to the maintenance of the integrity of the World Heritage Site, and working together with other state parties to ensure the property remains a sought-after natural wonder of the world, the meeting noted with concern the low visitor numbers when compared to other global prime destinations.

“We further note with concern the low combined visitor numbers into the property when compared to sites of similar status elsewhere,” reads a joint communiqué issued after the meeting.
“We agree and commit to jointly market the property as one destination and pursue sustainable development projects that will enhance visitor experience.

“We instruct the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to ensure that Unesco World Heritage Centre is notified whenever there is a new development proposal in and around the property in accordance with existing Operational Guidelines.”

Earlier in his address, Minister Ndlovu stressed the need to reflect on what properties of a similar nature are generating in terms of tourism earnings, which will be critical in guiding the setting up of ambitious targets for both countries.

“On the tourism front, I am reliably informed that the property received about 390 000 visitors in 2022, and at this point in time we may not be able to indicate how much was received as revenue and how many people are employed directly benefiting from the property,” he said.

“More visitors mean more revenue, which translates to economic growth and opportunities for both our peoples. On the other hand, we will need to ensure that as we increase the number of visitors, we do not affect the integrity of our property.”

Minister Sikumba said ensuring sustainable management of Victoria Falls in line with the universal standards was critical for future generations.

“We also realise the great potential the site has to provide an oasis of socio-economic development, through well-planned and environmentally friendly developments within and on the periphery of the Victoria Falls/Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls world heritage site,” he said.

“It is in this vein that this meeting was convened to address issues relating to the current status of the world heritage site and also to consider emerging issues as driven by the need for economic growth, job creation, and tourism growth within this area.

“It is important to maximise the economic returns accruing from the site, without lowering the conservation standards. This balancing act needs to be buttressed by well-informed processes and empirical evidence that can reassure global stakeholders that the priority is resource protection, and the basis for resource protection is the sustainable use and economic benefits within and outside the boundaries of the protected areas.”

The meeting also noted the progress made by the Joint Technical Committee on the completion and submission of the Strategic Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (SESA) for the property and urged the JTC to utilize the findings gathered, and the recommendations.

It, however, noted with concern the inadequate participation of both states’ parties at the International World Heritage Committee meetings, as well as other Unesco Heritage fora.

“We commit to ensuring the participation of experts in all Unesco heritage meetings,” it resolved.
During the two preparatory meetings, technical officials from both states deliberated at length on the welfare of the property and noted the various developments going in the site, which are critical to the preservation of the outstanding universal values.

The ministers expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the state parties in the joint management of the property and affirmed their commitment to upholding the 1972 Unesco World Heritage Convention and Operational Guidelines.

Also in attendance was Zambian permanent secretary for tourism, Mr Evans Muhanga, chief executive for Zambia Tourism Agency, Mr Matongo Matamwandi, director-general for parks and wildlife Zambia Mr Andrew Chomba, chief director tourism and hospitality management in Zimbabwe, Ms Tarirai Musonza, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive, Ms Winnie Muchanyuka, deputy director natural resources Mr Tanyaradzwa Mundoga, Zimparks officials, among others.

Source: Joint efforts to maximise Victoria Falls tourism earnings (19/06/23)