National

Victoria Falls residents wants council to cut on luxuries

Published

5 years ago

October 21, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Victoria Falls residents have asked the city council to cut down on luxuries and prioritise service delivery in its 2022 budget.

Council says it expects to spend $1.9 billion next year and tariffs would be raised by 68 percent from April 2022.

Residents, who attended a budget consultative meeting on Tuesday, said instead of allocating huge amounts of money on office furniture and other luxuries, the local authority should consider funding social services such as health delivery.

They said the city fathers must also consider that the majority of Victoria Falls residents lost their jobs after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down global travel.

“When we look at your capital expenditure, it doesn’t seem to prioritise service delivery yet when we talk about the development of the town, that’s what we should be talking about” said Yvonne Jandles, who was representing representing the Hotels Association of Zimbabwe.

“For example, if you look at the first three sections which deals with the mayor, the town clerk and the chamber secretary, the question is, how many times are we going to keep buying them furniture.

“Here you list that you need to buy television sets, fridges, coffee makers and projectors and more things.

“Given the place where we find ourselves as a city, we desperately need a well thought out budget

“I think we can do away with (luxuries) for now and if we take away all these things, we can reduce the budget by at least $48 million.”

Jandles added: “Your figures there, like (the allocation) for the town clerk’s office rose from $6 million to $28 million for 2022 yet we have Chinotimba Clinic with only $21 million and a zero budget for Mkhosana Clinic.

“We are not castigating you, but we are saying you should be realistic and cut down on the things that are not important.”

Council’s finance director Neville Ndlovu, however, defended the budget saying the furniture and other equipment they wanted to replace was in a poor state.

“This is what brings efficiency in terms of proper work,” Ndlovu told the residents.

“For instance, I am struggling with the printer which takes two to three days to printout.

“So, if I can get a good printer, I will be able to deliver.

“Service delivery is also about equipping those that are delivering the service so that they are able to be where you want them to be at the appropriate time.”

Ndlovu said some of the capital projects would be financed through devolution funds from central government and borrowings from the open market.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Kelvin Moyo asked the local authority to roll over the 2021 supplementary of $1 billion to June next year as it was only approved this month.

After consultations between councillors and town clerk Ronnie Dube, it was agreed that the local authority will only review tariffs in May 2021 after the implementation of the supplementary budget.

Ndlovu said the proposed tariffs review will be spread quarterly to factor in inflation trends.

“Our proposed tariffs from January to March will continue with what was approved on the supplementary budget, then a review of 68 percent will be implemented on the 1st of April then 12 percent on the 1st of July, and another 12 percent on the 1st of October,” he said.

Other community organisations such as the Victoria Falls United Residents Association and Hwange Residents Association also appealed for council to be transparent in the management of resources to cultivate trust.

They also pleaded with council to consider funding sporting activities in the town to promote sport tourism.

Two representatives for residents living with disabilities said council’s proposed budget did not cater for their needs.

“The president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has proposed a policy that takes into consideration the disabled and I am disappointed that here, where the change to consider the disabled should begin, there is no such,” one of the representatives said.

“Your budget is silent on us, the youths and even women yet we are the neediest.

As a way of generating funds, other residents suggested that council should consider land sales, pricing of beer halls and updating its systems to bill some hotels and lodges that are not paying anything

National

Zimbabwe export surge, diaspora inflows mask funding gaps in foreign affairs sector

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Zimbabwe is seeing strong gains in export earnings and diaspora remittances, but lawmakers warn chronic underfunding is undermining the country’s diplomatic and economic ambitions.

Parliament heard that remittances reached about $1.8 billion by the third quarter of 2025, while exports rose sharply, helping cut the trade deficit. Lawmakers said the diaspora remains “a vital source of foreign exchange, directly contributing to the enhancement of the nation’s foreign reserves and overall economic stability.”

However, MPs said financial constraints are weakening the institutions meant to sustain that growth. The Zimbabwe Foreign Services Institute received only a fraction of its budget, limiting recruitment and training.

“The staffing shortfall has inevitably affected operational efficiency and the institute’s ability to discharge its core mandate,” the committee report noted.

Lawmakers warned that without consistent funding, gains in exports and diaspora engagement could stall, particularly as Zimbabwe pushes toward an export-led economy.

National

Government pushes vaccines drive as MPs warn of rural access gaps, misinformation

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwean lawmakers have called for urgent action to close immunisation gaps, warning that rural communities remain vulnerable due to weak access and persistent misinformation.

Speaking during Africa Vaccination Week, MPs said vaccines remain “among the most effective, equitable and transformative public health interventions,” but coverage remains uneven.

“Persistent gaps endure, particularly in rural and underserved areas where barriers of access, awareness and trust continue to impede full immunisation coverage,” one legislator told Parliament.

Lawmakers urged stronger investment in cold-chain systems and public engagement campaigns, stressing that immunisation is not just a health issue but “a strategic development imperative” tied to productivity and national growth.

National

EcoCash bill splitting signals rise of social commerce in Zimbabwe

Published

4 days ago

April 29, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

EcoCash’s latest bill-splitting feature on its Super App is not just a product upgrade, it is part of a broader shift towards “social commerce,” where financial transactions are embedded directly into everyday conversations.

Traditionally, sending money has been a deliberate, separate action: open the app, enter details, confirm payment. But with EcoCash’s integrated chat environment, that process is being redefined. Payments now happen in the same space where decisions are made — within conversations among friends, families and colleagues.

This development, which is being driven by Sasai Fintech, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, result is a more natural flow between communication and commerce.

This model, often referred to as chat-first payments, is gaining traction globally. Platforms such as Venmo in the United States and Revolut in Europe have popularised the idea of embedding payments into social interactions, allowing users to split bills, request funds and settle expenses within a messaging context.

EcoCash’s move signals that Zimbabwe is aligning with — and in some ways accelerating — this global trend.

Unlike many mature markets where card-based payments dominated before social features were layered on, Zimbabwe’s mobile-first ecosystem provides a different foundation. Mobile money is already deeply embedded in daily life, making it easier to integrate financial services into conversational platforms without requiring a behavioural overhaul.

By placing bill-splitting within its chat interface, EcoCash is effectively turning conversations into transaction points. A group discussing dinner plans can now split the bill instantly. Colleagues organising transport can settle contributions in real time. Families coordinating school fees or groceries can move from agreement to payment without leaving the chat thread.

This convergence of messaging and money is at the heart of social commerce.

From a strategic standpoint, the implications are significant. Each conversation has the potential to generate multiple transactions, increasing activity on the platform while strengthening user engagement. Payments become less of a task and more of a seamless extension of communication.

Industry analysts note that this model tends to drive higher transaction frequency and user retention, as financial interactions become habitual rather than occasional. For EcoCash, the bill-splitting feature is a practical entry point into this space, simple enough to encourage adoption, yet powerful enough to shift behaviour.