National

Victoria Falls residents boycott 2023 budget meetings as tension rises over graft

Published

4 years ago

September 22, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Victoria Falls ratepayers are boycotting the city council’s 2023 budget consultations as they are demanding answers on various allegations of corruption scandals that have rocked the local authority.

The budget meetings that started this week failed to take off on two consecutive days as residents stayed away while demanding to be first addressed about the alleged irregular sale of commercial stands, a US$89 000 loan that was given to town clerk Ronnie Dube to buy a car and a luxury car for the mayor.

A budget meeting that was organised the business community comprising of tourism operators, non-profit organisations and special interests groups saw only five residents attending.

Four of the people that attended the meeting were members of the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (VIFACORA) while a meeting for wards nine and 10 that was held at Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School had less than 20 residents.

Those who attended the meetings demanded answers from the local authority on how it was handling its funds given the latest scandals.

VIFACORA and some residents accused some council employees and councillors of shifting from the core mandate of service delivery to pursue corrupt deals for personal gain and this has impacted negatively on council’s finances.

In both meetings, residents demanded accountability on the sale of stand 8300 to the lowest bidder yet the highest bidder had offered more than double the amount.

VIFACORA chairperson Kelvin Moyo said residents’ concerns must be addressed before the budget could be formulated.

“This stand was earmarked for the state-of-the-art hospital that was supposed to be built before Covid-19, but the investor was affected by the pandemic,” Moyo said.

“After that it was resolved that it must be retendered and at the time it was valued at US$14 million and then then investor was supposed to build two reservoirs in Mkhosana, which was to deal with perennial water challenges there, especially between the months of august to November,” Moyo said.

The residents are querying how the stand was bought by the lowest bidder.

“There are a lot of questions that residents are asking,” Moyo said.

“They want to know what exactly happened (on the stand issue) and we feel this should be addressed in order to bring confidence to residents before we continue with the budget formulation.”

Residents said they also needed an explanation on circumstances that saw town clerk Ronnie Dube getting a US$89 000 to buy a car with a 25 percent discount and at the interbank rate.

“We all know what that means,” VIFACORA secretary general Trymore Ndolo said.

“Additionally, the same vehicle bought using council funds becomes personal property entitling the town clerk to claim mileage on it, which means that in the end council will repay the loan and more.

“The town clerk has a contractual office vehicle, which should have been bought as a priority over the personal vehicle loan and where is the signed loan agreement, did he get a loan without signing a loan agreement or an offer?”

Residents are also demanding answers on council’s proposal to give mayor Somvelo Dhlamini a Toyota Fortuner vehicle as a golden handshake at the end of his term next year without a full council resolution.

“The resources are not theirs to squander, but ours to protect for the benefit of everyone and future generations,” Ndolo said.

“At this rate nothing will remain of our beautiful city.”

Other issues include the controversial leasing of the council brewery for 15 years without proper procedures being followed.

Residents also queried why councillors were not attending the budget meetings.

Councils’ finance director Neville Ndlovu in response said residents who felt aggrieved should always raise questions with the local authority.

“I know there is so much information that goes out and we have seen so much in the media, (but) those things have nothing to do with the budget processes that we are currently doing,” Ndlovu said.

“If stakeholders have issues they feel they need clarification on, council officials are available from Monday to Friday (where) we do those engagements because this will actually hamper other progress because as it is now.

“We need to do the budget for 2023 because come January one, we have not really completed the process, we will have not a budget to work with.”

Budget meetings in other wards are scheduled for today and Friday.

National

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

Published

2 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

2 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

3 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.