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Econet Victoria Falls Marathon return excites ZTA

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BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) says the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, which is set to be held in the scenic resort town on July 3, 2022 will help drive the revival of the country’s tourism sector.

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The popular marathon is coming back to Vic Falls after a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which had significantly impacted the industry in a negative way with subsequent travel restrictions hitting demand for travel, and leading to a massive fall in tourist visitors to the country.

Tourism industry players say this saw the loss of close to 10 000 jobs, while nearly 40 hospitality facilities were shut down.

However, global vaccination initiatives and the significant fall in new Covid cases and deaths recorded, along with the reopening of international borders, have resulted in tourists coming back to Zimbabwe.

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“We are quite excited with the Econet Victoria Falls Marathon coming back with more than 5 000 participants from various countries in the region and around the world expected to take part in the event.

“This is great news for tourism,” said ZTA spokesperson Godfrey Koti.

“We are pushing this event under the banner of sports tourism and we are very happy that we have started seeing a return of normalcy in a way, hosting of events and people meeting physically.”

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The Econet Victoria Falls Marathon has over the years become one of the most popular events on the world’s sporting calendars, attracting both veteran and new athletes from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, among other countries.

Koti said this year’s participants will have a chance to explore other exciting activities around the resort town such as white-water rafting, bungee jumping and game drives to boost the tourism industry, which contributes 6.3 percent of the national gross domestic product, with a value of US$1.23 billion.

The government recently introduced a number of incentives to ensure the sector moves towards sustainable recovery and growth from the impacts of the pandemic so that it becomes a US$5 billion industry by 2025.

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In line with the government’s thrust to revive the tourism industry and protect jobs, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has rebranded this year’s marathon “Run the Big Three” to lure more tourists and athletes to the country.

“This year’s Econet Victoria Falls Marathon has three routes – the Elephant Route, the Leopard Route and the Lion Route,” said Econet spokesperson Fungai Mandiveyi while announcing the return of the marathon recently.

“Seasoned athletes will battle it for the top honours along the ‘Elephant Route’, the full 42 kilometres (km) marathon, while veteran and amateur athletes will test themselves in the ‘Leopard Route’, which is our traditional 21km half marathon.

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“Families, young children, along with ‘social’ and first-time runners, will take part in the popular 7.5km fun-run, that we are calling the ‘Lion Route.’”

Econet said with over US$25 000 worth of prizes to be won, runners are encouraged to register on www.vicfallsmarathon.com and pay using EcoCash, MasterCard or Visa Card.

Details on the fees, which are much lower for local athletes, are available on the same site.

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This year’s marathon is also a qualifying race for the 2022 Comrades Marathon to be held on August 28 in South Africa.

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National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

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According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

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In the community

Human-wildlife conflict claims 18 lives in Zimbabwe’s first quarter

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has reported a disturbing trend of human-wildlife conflict in the country’s first quarter of 2025. According to the authority, 18 people have lost their lives, and 32 others have been injured in encounters with wildlife.

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ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo revealed that the authority received 579 cases of human-wildlife conflict, which they managed to respond to promptly. The incidents have also resulted in significant livestock losses, with at least 53 cattle and 85 goats killed by wildlife.

The districts most affected by these incidents include Binga, Hwange, Kariba, Chiredzi, Hurungwe, Nyaminyami, and Mbire. ZimParks has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about wildlife behaviors and effective preventive measures in these areas.

In response to the crisis, ZimParks has translocated 129 animals back into protected areas and eliminated 158 animals deemed problematic.

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“We encourage communities to continue reporting incidents to ZimParks Problem Animal Control numbers and local leadership, such as Councillors, Traditional Leaders, and Rural District Council Authorities, to ensure that we preserve lives,” Farawo urged.

The significant increase in livestock losses, with cattle deaths rising from 18 to 53 and goat deaths from 21 to 85 compared to the same period in 2024, highlights the growing challenge of human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe.

ZimParks’ efforts to mitigate the conflict include community initiatives to educate people on managing wildlife encounters effectively.

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Tens of Thousands in Zimbabwe Go Hungry as the Rains — and US Aid — Hold Back

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Tanayeishe Musau eats baobab porridge after school at his home in Mudzi, Zimbabwe, where the dish has become a daily staple amid worsening drought and hunger. Once a simple supplement, baobab porridge is now a primary meal for families like his, following widespread food shortages and the suspension of international aid.

BY LINDA MUJURU

This story was originally published by Global Press Journal.

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Agnes Tauzeni stands on her parched field. She is a mother to two children, and is expecting another. But now, in a time that might otherwise have been joyful, her hopes wither like the struggling crops before her.

 

Three times she’s gambled on the rains; three times the sky has betrayed her. Her first two plantings failed. The soil was too dry to sustain life. Though her third attempt yielded a few weak shoots, they offered little promise of a meaningful harvest. El Niño-driven droughts have disrupted once-reliable rains, leaving Tauzeni’s family and many like hers struggling to feed themselves.

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“I am always hungry,” Tauzeni says.

 

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She worries about the health of her unborn child, based on how little nutrition she consumes herself.

 

Adding to this, food aid, previously funded by the US Agency for International Development, halted suddenly in January. That transformed what was already a struggle into a desperate battle for survival.

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The food aid ended when US President Donald Trump, on his first day in office, issued an executive order that paused nearly all US foreign aid, most of which was administered by USAID. That agency is now all but defunct.

 

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Food aid in Zimbabwe was an ongoing area of funding for USAID. In November 2024, the agency announced $130 million for two seven-year programs, implemented by CARE and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, that would provide food aid and other related support to areas of Zimbabwe most in need. The programs, which stopped, were just part of an ongoing slate of activities designed to help Zimbabwe’s neediest people.

 

About 7.6 million people in Zimbabwe — nearly half the country’s population — need humanitarian assistance, according to a 2025 UNICEF report. Of those, nearly 6 million, like Tauzeni, rely on subsistence farming.

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Through the support of organizations with funding from USAID, people previously received cereals, edible seeds, oil and food vouchers.

 

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“A sudden withdrawal can put the entire community in a dire situation,” says Hilton Mbozi, a seed systems and climate change expert.

 

Tauzeni recalls that her community used to receive food supplies such as beans, cooking oil and peanut butter to help combat malnutrition.

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When Tauzeni got married in 2017, her fields promised abundance. Her harvests were plentiful, and her family never lacked food. Now, those memories feel like whispers from another world. The past two agricultural seasons, those harvests have been devastatingly poor.

 

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With an empty granary and dwindling options, Tauzeni’s family survives on the same food every day: baobab porridge in the morning and sadza with wild okra in the evening. But Tauzeniworries whether even this will be on the table in the coming months.

 

“The little maize I have, I got after weeding someone else’s crops, but that won’t take us far,” she says.

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Tauzeni says a 20-kilogram (44-pound) bag of maize costs US$13 in her village, an amount out of reach for her. Her only source of income is farming. When that fails, she has no money at all.

 

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Hunger like Tauzeni experiences is widespread. Some families now eat just once a day.

 

Headman David Musau, leader of Musau village where Tauzenilives, says some people in his village did not plant any seeds this season, fearing losses due to the low rainfall. The government provides food aid inconsistently, usually 7 kilograms (15 pounds) of wheat per person for three months.

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“It’s not enough, but it helps,” he says.

 

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But without any other food aid, survival is at stake, he says. “People will die in the near future.”

 

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