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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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Zimparks launches elephant culling program

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to address the growing elephant population in Save Valley Conservancy, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has issued permits for a controlled elephant management exercise.

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The exercise, slated to commence shortly, aims to cull an initial 50 elephants from the conservancy, which is currently home to 2,550 elephants – more than three times the ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants.

According to ZimParks, the conservancy has been struggling to cope with the swelling elephant population, which has put a strain on the wildlife habitat and resources. Over the past five years, the conservancy has translocated 200 elephants to other areas, including Hurungwe and Sapi, in an effort to manage the population.

Zimparks says the controlled culling exercise is expected to provide relief to the conservancy’s ecosystem, while also benefiting local communities.

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Elephant meat from the exercise will be distributed to local communities while the ivory will be kept by the State.

In a statement, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo emphasized the authority’s commitment to responsible and sustainable wildlife management.

“We remain committed to ensuring that our wildlife resources are managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

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In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

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Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

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If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

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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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