National

Victoria Falls residents demand councillors’ lifestyle audit

Published

4 years ago

October 16, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Victoria Falls residents have called for a lifestyle audit for councillors and the local authority’s management following allegations of massive corruption in the MDC Alliance-led city council.

The calls were made at a public meeting held at Chinotimba Hall that was convened by war veterans’ leadership from Matabeleland North on Friday to discuss the chaos at the local authority, which was attended by over 300 people.

Residents are agitating for investigations into the local authority following the arrest of mayor Somvelo Dhlamini a week ago on fraud allegations amid allegations that town clerk Ronnie Dube and other councillors were also involved in corrupt activities related to the parcelling out of commercial stands.

The Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora) claims that it has evidence that Dube and some councillors sold a prime commercial stand number 8300 for US$4 million instead of US$14 million before councillors and some senior managers shared US$400 000 that was paid as a bribe by the lowest bidder.

Vifacora secretary general Trymore Ndolo told meeting that the matter came to light when the MDC Alliance councillors started fighting among each other during the sharing of the spoils from the corrupt deal.

“They sold our land for US$4.2 million, how can land depreciate from US$14 million?” Ndolo queried.

“I’ll be clear and straightforward, some of the councillors came to us as Vifacora to report that they told us that when stand 8300 (comes up for discussion) we should agree to the sale as there was going to be bribery money and they surely got US$ 400 000 and this is why they have been fighting against each other”.

He said council also sold stand 1811 to a councillor without a resolution as per regulations.

“(Stand) 1811 is the size of a stadium and cannot be sold to a councillor, and that stand was valued at US$ 5 million,” Ndolo added.

“We protested even to the mayor at a full council meeting resolution where we were called to endorse its sale in bond (RTGS) and we’ve got all the information.

“The people, who were the masterminds (are known) and we queried how a stand worth US$ 5 million can be sold for $11 million.

“So this is what residents have been arguing about and we are saying there should be a lifestyle audit of everyone involved in these corrupt deals.”

A resident, who spoke at the meeting, said some councillors were living beyond their means.

The resident queried: “How can someone who was known for selling sweets on the streets within a short period after being elected as a councillor have a fleet of cars?

“How much would that person be earning to own such (property) and we would like our elderly people (war veterans) to spearhead a campaign for a lifestyle audit.”

Dube and some councillors are at loggerheads with residents and war veterans over the corruption allegations that have resulted in poor service delivery.

Some residents have gone for several months without water and other parts of the city experience continuous sewer pipe bursts.

Over 300 residents have signed a petition urging Parliament to investigate the corruption allegations.

War veterans Matabeleland North chairperson Boniface Sibanda told the meeting that corruption and infighting in the local authority led to Dhlamini’s arrest.

The former liberation war fighters are accusing Dube of conniving with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to cover-up the alleged corruption by engineering Dhlamini’s arrest while shielding Dube.

National

Zimbabwe approves US$92 million Victoria Falls infrastructure deal

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The government has greenlit a major public-private partnership (PPP) to develop critical bulk infrastructure within the Masuwe Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), a move aimed at transforming Victoria Falls into a premier international hub for finance and tourism.

The project, approved during the Tuesday cabinet meeting, establishes a commercial joint venture (CJV) between the state-owned Mosi Oa Tunya Development Company (MTDC) and the JR Goddard (JRG) Consortium.

According to the government briefing, the MSEZ is a “flagship national development project” established to “transform Victoria Falls into a diversified, high-value hub integrating tourism, financial services and sustainable real estate”.

Under the terms of the agreement, the JRG Consortium—which includes JR Goddard Pvt Ltd, Sesani Pvt Ltd, Stewart Scott Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd, and GGF Africa Pvt Ltd—will provide funding of US25.6 million.

This arrangement results in a shareholding structure of 39% for MTDC and 61% for the JR Goddard Consortium.

The infrastructure roadmap for the 1 200-hectare site is extensive. Planned works include the surfacing of 8 km of internal roads, the upgrading of 9 km of existing gravel roads, and the construction of a 13 km water pipeline designed to serve both the economic zone and neighbouring communities.

Additional developments will feature a package water treatment plant, a sewerage reticulation system, a power sub-station, and effluent re-use storage ponds.

Cabinet said the project was subjected to a “rigorous evaluation” in compliance with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) Act.

Officials believe the partnership will “catalyse high-value investment” and provide a “sustainable fiscal contribution to gross domestic product (GDP)” while creating downstream jobs.

The government said the project is expected to “catapult the transformation of Victoria Falls into a modern and vibrant economic development city, fulfilling the attainment of Vision 2030”.

The joint venture includes a 25-year structured profit recoup period and will be overseen by a board chaired by the MTDC to ensure alignment with the country’s National Development Strategy 2.

Located within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TfCA), the Masuwedevelopment is seen as a strategic pivot for Zimbabwe to diversify its tourism-dependent economy into a more robust financial services and real estate centre.

National

Zambia, Zimbabwe to ban heavy trucks from Victoria Falls Bridge

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY DUMANI MOYO

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that Zambia and Zimbabwe will restrict heavy trucks and trains from using the century-old Victoria Falls Bridge.

Speaking at an engineering conference in Livingstone, he said the two countries will instead build a new bridge and railway crossing to handle modern freight demands.

Hichilema made it clear that the 121-year-old structure can no longer safely or efficiently carry today’s heavy-duty traffic.

Engineers designed the bridge in the early 1900s for much lighter loads, not for fully laden 60-tonne mining trucks or long freight trains that now dominate regional trade routes.

Engineers completed the Victoria Falls Bridge in 1905 as a narrow arch crossing linking road, rail and pedestrian traffic.

While it remains an iconic piece of infrastructure, its design limits its ability to support modern logistics.

Authorities have already imposed restrictions over the years.

Trains often move at very low speeds, while trucks have faced weight limits that forced heavier vehicles to reroute through other crossings.

Although rehabilitation work in 2006 extended the bridge’s lifespan, it did not solve the fundamental structural limitations.

Experts now agree that upgrading the bridge to meet current freight standards would cost nearly as much as building a new one.

WHY A NEW CROSSING MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE

Officials from both countries now favour constructing a new dual-purpose rail and road bridge instead of attempting further upgrades.

A purpose-built crossing would accommodate higher traffic volumes and modern freight loads without compromising safety.

A new structure would also eliminate a major bottleneck along the North-South Corridor, which links the copper belts of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to southern markets such as South Africa.

By separating heavy commercial traffic from tourism and local travel, the new bridge would allow the Victoria Falls Bridge to serve lighter vehicles, pedestrians and tourists, preserving its heritage value.

REGIONAL TRADE AND RAIL INTEGRATION BOOST

The proposed crossing would complement major regional projects, including the Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone Railway.

A dual-track rail bridge would strengthen links between Zambia and Zimbabwe while supporting long-term plans to expand rail connectivity across Southern Africa.

It would also mirror the successful model of the Kazungula Bridge, which has significantly increased traffic flow since opening in 2021.

FINANCING AND NEXT STEPS

Despite strong political backing, key questions remain around funding, construction timelines and project ownership.

Zimbabwe’s debt constraints could complicate financing, although improved economic reforms may unlock support from international lenders.

If both governments secure funding and move quickly, the new bridge could become one of the most important infrastructure developments in the Southern African Development Community in recent years.

This could transform trade flows and ease congestion along a critical regional corridor.

SOURCE: THE SOUTH AFRICAN

National

Health ministry rolls out polio vaccination campaign

Published

2 days ago

April 21, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Ministry of Health and Child Care has launched a targeted polio vaccination campaign in selected districts, with health workers going door-to-door and setting up outreach points to reach young children.

The campaign aims to vaccinate all children under the age of five against polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis. Authorities say the initiative forms part of a wider regional effort to interrupt transmission, being conducted alongside neighbouring countries including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

In a message posted on X on Monday and circulated in official memos, the ministry said it was “embarking on a targeted polio vaccination campaign to interrupt the transmission of polioviruses”. It urged families in affected areas to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated, regardless of their previous vaccination status.

The programme will be carried out in two rounds, from 20 to 23 April and from 2 to 5 June, covering both urban and rural communities.

In Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, vaccination teams are operating in Emakhandeni, the Northern Suburbs and Nkulumane. In Harare Metropolitan Province, the campaign covers Harare, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa.

In Manicaland Province, teams are working in Mutare, Mutasa, Chimanimani and Chipinge. In Mashonaland Central, the campaign targets Mbire, Mt Darwin, Centenary and Rushinga, while in Mashonaland East it focuses on Mudzi. In Mashonaland West, Kariba and Hurungwe are included.

Further south, the drive extends to Chiredzi in Masvingo Province, as well as Binga, Hwange and Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North. In Matabeleland South, teams are operating in Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda.

Health workers are using a combination of fixed vaccination sites, mobile units and door-to-door visits in neighbourhoods, markets, shops and clinics to reach eligible children, including those in remote and hard-to-access areas.

The ministry has called on parents and guardians to cooperate with vaccination teams, saying the campaign is critical to protecting children and preventing the spread of the disease.

SOURCE: CITE