The City of Victoria Falls has launched its first Pay and Win Promotion Draw, an initiative aimed at encouraging residents to keep their municipal accounts up to date while strengthening revenue collection for improved service delivery.
The promotion, which runs until 31 December 2026, will culminate in a grand draw in January 2027.
Speaking in remarks read on his by Deputy Mayor Lungile Nyoni, Mayor Prince Thuso Moyo said the initiative rewards responsible ratepayers while reinforcing the shared responsibility of building the city’s future.
“It is my great pleasure to officiate at the first Pay and Win Promotion Draw, an initiative that rewards responsible ratepayers while strengthening the partnership between the City and its residents,” the mayor said last week in his prepared speech.
He said Victoria Falls, which attained city status in 2020, has higher expectations for service delivery and development, adding that the city’s vision is to become “A Smart and Sustainable Tourism Destination of Choice by 2030.”
The mayor said revenue collected from residents had enabled council to invest in infrastructure and public services, including the commissioning of two new water reservoirs in Mkhosana with a combined storage capacity of more than five megalitres to improve water security and the reliability of water supplies.
His speech also highlighted ongoing and planned developments in the city, including the Eagle Heights development, which is expected to include a hospital, hotel, shopping mall, residential housing and other infrastructure, the construction of an international cricket stadium ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches to be hosted in Zimbabwe next year, and progress on the BE100 Housing Scheme.
The mayor urged residents to continue paying their municipal bills, saying every dollar collected supports essential services such as water supply, waste collection, road maintenance and public health.
He also encouraged residents to protect the environment by avoiding littering, illegal dumping, blocking roads with rubble and disposing of vehicles in wetlands.
In a separate address delivered by the Town Clerk Ronnie Dube, the City of Victoria Falls thanked residents, businesses, development partners, councillors and sponsors for supporting the inaugural promotion.
The Town Clerk’s speech said every payment made towards rates and water contributes to improved roads, reliable water supply, better waste management, cleaner neighbourhoods and enhanced public health.
The speech also encouraged councillors to continue mobilising residents to participate in the promotion before it closes at the end of December.
Meanwhile, Finance Committee Chairperson Derreck Munsaka said the promotion was introduced to recognise and reward loyal ratepayers who consistently maintain zero account balances or make significant efforts to settle outstanding bills.
According to his prepared remarks, residents who maintain a zero balance qualify for the competition and stand a chance to win prizes in different residential categories, while those who have outstanding balances can still qualify by making a minimum payment of US$200 at any of the council’s pay points and depositing their receipt into designated collection boxes.
Munsaka said the initiative is intended not only to reward compliance but also to foster responsible citizenship and improve the city’s capacity to deliver quality services.
He urged residents who have not yet qualified to settle their accounts before 31 December 2026 to stand a chance of winning prizes in subsequent draws and the grand finale in January 2027.