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‘Historic moment’: Luthfansa’s Eurowings Discover becomes first intercontinental airline to fly to Victoria Falls

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Top German airline Lufthansa returned to Zimbabwe on Wednesday after more than two decades with its leisure service Eurowings Discover touching down in Victoria Falls to mark the start of flights to resort city.

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Eurowings became the first intercontinental airline ever to offer direct flights to Victoria Falls

The carrier departed from Frankfurt, Germany, on March 29 with an Airbus A330 and Flight 4Y138 arrived at the Victoria Falls International Airport at 11:15AM on time.

The Eurowings Discover maiden flight from Frankfurt, Germany, touching down in Victoria Falls on Wednesday

Captain Wolfgang Raebiger, who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of the airline operated the first flight to Victoria Falls, which was welcomed by an airport event and special guests including the Germany ambassador to Zimbabwe Udo Volz.

“This flight marks a special milestone for our airline Eurowings Discover, “Raebiger said

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“We are proud to be the first intercontinental airline offering direct flights to Victoria Falls as of today.

“It has never been easier for travellers from all over Europe to get to know this beautiful country, its culture and kind-hearted people and of course, the stunning natural wonder Victoria Falls.”

Raebiger said their booking figures showed that travellers from all over Europe were increasingly drawn to the vastness and beauty of the African continent and they were convinced that they will value Victoria Falls as a great and unique addition to their portfolio.

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Eurowings Discover general manager Andre Schultz said with the launch of their Victoria Falls flights they were now able to offer their customers a direct connection between Europe and the diverse Kavango-Zambezi region.

“This area is of particular importance to our leisure airline Eurowings Discover as we continue expanding our portfolio into attractive tourist destinations in Africa,” Schultz said.

The Lufthansa Group said by introducing their new direct Eurowings Discover service to Victoria Falls, they were playing an active part in rebuilding Zimbabwe’s tourism industry those of neighbouring countries.

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“Travel has become an important factor in the lives of many Germans,” the group said.

“Travellers from Germany constitute an important factor in the international tourism business.

“Zimbabwe, on the other hand, is an extremely beautiful and attractive destination in Africa, therefore, we very much welcome the fact that tourists from Germany venturing into Africa are now being provided a much easier access not only to the majestic Victoria Falls but to Zimbabwe altogether.”

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Guests at a ceremony to welcome the maiden Eurowings Discover maiden flight pose for a picture at the Victoria Falls International Airport

Eurowings Discover starting March 29 will operate three weekly direct connections from Frankfurt to Victoria Falls, with return flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The flights will be operated as tag flights with a short stopover in Windhoek.

“Through the integration into the Lufthansa network, passengers benefit from the direct connection to all German and European Lufthansa departure points as well as a continuous booking process and seamless transfer traffic,” Lufthansa said.

“Eurowings Discover will offer a high-quality product with many services included such as refreshments

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“The aircraft offers up to 300 seats, up to 30 of which are in business class (full lie-flat seats), up to 31 in premium economy and up to 244 in economy.

“In all three classes, guests can look forward to a special, high-quality travel experience with all meals and non-alcoholic beverages included in the fare.

“Next to the culinary experience, Eurowings Discover also provides excellent entertainment onboard the flight to vacation – completely free of charge in all classes with their own screens in seat.

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“Another special feature on board Eurowings Discover: guests can quickly and easily connect to the Onboard Cloud via their own device to receive an extended entertainment offer.”

“For now, the aircraft will continue doing three weekly direct flights from Frankfurt to Victoria Falls International Airport from March to mid-November 2022.

Eurowings Discover is the Lufthansa Group’s new leisure airline that flies travellers from the Frankfurt and the Munich hub to the world’s most beautiful short-, medium- and long-haul destinations.

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Through integration into the Lufthansa network, travelers benefit from direct connections to all German and European Lufthansa departure points, as well as an end-to-end booking process and seamless transfers.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, the airline draws on the expertise and experience of one of the world’s leading aviation companies

 

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Zimbabwe moves to establish tough drug control agency amid rising substance abuse crisis

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

As Zimbabwe battles a surge in drug and substance abuse, the government has tabled a new Bill in Parliament seeking to establish a powerful agency to coordinate enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention programmes across the country.

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The National Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency Bill (H.B. 12, 2025) proposes the creation of a dedicated agency mandated to combat the supply and demand of illicit drugs, provide rehabilitation services, and strengthen coordination between law enforcement and social service institutions.

According to the explanatory memorandum of the Bill, the agency will operate under two main divisions — a Social Services Intervention Division to focus on prevention, treatment and community rehabilitation, and an Enforcement Division to target supply chains, trafficking networks, and related financial crimes.

The legislation describes drug abuse as “a grave internal national security threat” and “a public health crisis” that fuels organised crime, corruption and violence. It notes that drug profits have enabled criminal cartels to “purchase the instrumentalities of crime, including weapons,” and to corrupt both civilian and non-civilian public officials.

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Under the new framework, the agency will have powers to:

  • Investigate and arrest individuals involved in drug trafficking and production;
  • Work jointly with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, and Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe;
  • Establish checkpoints at ports of entry and exit to intercept harmful substances; and
  • Expand the legal definition of “harmful drugs” to include emerging synthetic substances, in consultation with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe.

The Social Services Division will lead prevention campaigns, develop demand-reduction programmes, and facilitate the creation of rehabilitation and detoxification centres nationwide. It will also introduce a monitoring system requiring schools, employers, and local authorities to adopt anti-drug awareness and intervention programmes within 90 days of the Act’s commencement.

Each province and district will host offices of the agency to decentralise services and ensure community-level engagement, while traditional leaders will help devise local prevention strategies.

The Bill further empowers the agency to employ prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority to handle drug-related cases, signalling a shift toward specialised prosecution of narcotics offences. It also introduces a new, stricter “standard scale of fines” and penalties for drug crimes — higher than those prescribed under existing criminal laws.

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In a major development, the proposed law integrates the agency into Zimbabwe’s Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, allowing it to pursue unexplained wealth orders and seize assets linked to drug cartels.

The Bill stresses rehabilitation and social reintegration as key pillars. It obliges the agency to support affected individuals through psychosocial counselling, vocational training, and community wellness programmes aimed at helping addicts rebuild their lives.

If passed, the National Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency will replace fragmented anti-drug efforts currently scattered across ministries and law enforcement agencies, creating a central authority to drive national strategy and coordination.

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Parliament is expected to debate the Bill in the coming weeks amid growing concern over youth addiction to crystal meth, cough syrups, and other illicit substances that have taken root in both urban and rural communities.

 

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Hwange unit 8 breaks down, deepening Zimbabwe’s power supply challenges

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

ZESA Holdings has announced that Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the national grid following a technical fault, a development expected to worsen Zimbabwe’s persistent electricity shortages.

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In a statement released on Monday, the power utility said the unit would be out of service for ten days while restoration work is carried out.

“Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the grid due to a technical fault. The unit will be out of service for 10 days while restoration work is carried out,” ZESA said.

The company said Hwange Unit 7 remains operational, generating 335 megawatts (MW) to support system stability, while power generation at Kariba South Power Station has been ramped up with “careful management of water allocations” to compensate for the temporary shortfall.

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ZESA apologized for the inconvenience and appealed for public understanding as engineers work to restore the unit.

Zimbabwe has faced recurring electricity supply challenges over the past two decades, driven by ageing infrastructure, limited generation capacity, and low water levels at Kariba Dam. While the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 in 2023 brought some relief, frequent breakdowns have continued to disrupt supply, forcing industries and households to endure prolonged load-shedding.

The latest fault at Hwange comes at a time when power demand is surging across the country, particularly during the hot season when air conditioning and irrigation systems increase pressure on the grid.

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Energy experts say the outage highlights the need for greater investment in maintenance, renewable energy, and grid modernization to stabilize Zimbabwe’s power supply in the long term.

 

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Tsholotsho to host national commemoration of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe will on Thursday, this week,  join the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR), with national events set to take place at Tshino Primary School in Ward 5, Tsholotsho District, along the Tsholotsho–Sipepa road.

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The global day, observed annually, aims to promote a culture of disaster risk awareness and highlight efforts to reduce vulnerability and build resilience in communities.

Speaking to VicFallsLive, Civil Protection Unit Director Nathan Nkomo said this year’s commemoration holds special significance for Tsholotsho, a district that has long struggled with recurrent flooding.

“The whole issue is to reduce, not to increase the occurrence of disasters. And by commemorating, that’s where we share ideas with other people,” Nkomo said.

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He noted that Tsholotsho’s selection as the national host was deliberate, following the successful relocation of families who were affected by flooding at the confluence of the Gwai and Shashani rivers.

“It’s not by accident that we are commemorating in Tsholotsho. We have built 305 houses for people who were affected in the Spepa area, and we will be celebrating in style because we have managed to relocate them,” he said.

“Now we no longer hear of people being flooded in Tsholotsho because of that relocation. So, we will be celebrating in style for Tshini and Sawudweni.”

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The relocations, carried out under government’s disaster recovery and housing programs, have been hailed as a success story in proactive disaster risk management.

Looking ahead to the cyclone season, Nkomo said funding remains the major challenge in preparedness and response.

“We cannot preempt to say there are challenges yet, but historically, since we’ve dealt with COVID-19 and Cyclone Idai, the issue of funds has always been critical,” he said.

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“This year, we are dealing with cyclones at a time when even our development partners have dwindling resources. So, funding will take centre stage in our deliberations, to see how best we can respond with the little we have. The whole idea, when you go to war, is not the question of numbers, but of strategy and how to win.”

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is observed globally every October 13, but Zimbabwe’s national commemorations are being held later this year to align with local preparedness programs and community-based activities.

 

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