Connect with us

In the community

Victoria Falls residents struggling to stay afloat in a dream destination

Published

on

BY FORTUNE MOYO

The splattering of raindrops gives Blessing Maya sleepless nights.

Advertisement

“Each time it rains, I am forced to dig some trenches or lay some bricks so that water does not flood my home,” he says of the three-bedroom house he shares with his wife, niece and two children in Victoria Falls’ Mkhosana neighbourhood.

His only consolation is that the same rain helps the potatoes, onions and tomatoes growing on a separate acre of land he bought four years ago to supplement his income as a tour guide — a lucky decision, in hindsight, as Covid-19 travel restrictions have slowed Victoria Falls tourism  to a trickle.

The pandemic’s economic impact has exacerbated poor urban planning and increasingly adverse weather conditions.

Advertisement

This makes it difficult for Maya and thousands of other year-round residents to stay afloat in what had once been their dream destination — and continues to be one of the most sought-after places to live in the country.

The city’s population is projected to grow from 42,224 to 50,734 over the next decade, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.

Many are drawn by the hospitality industry surrounding Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Advertisement

The housing waiting list managed by the Victoria Falls Municipality, the local governing authority, stands at more than 15,000 households.

In 2021, the municipality requested enough land for 1,000 housing units but received approval for only 500, says Mandla Dingani, acting public and community relations manager.

Once Zimbabwe’s central government approves a land reallocation request, the local authority assumes responsibility for developing and maintaining the required infrastructure.

Advertisement

But the rush to meet housing demand caused storm drain installation and maintenance to fall through the cracks, Dingani says.

Officials for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Settlement, the central government department that processes the municipal applications, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The Mkhosana neighbourhood was created in 1997 on land formerly zoned for park use.

Advertisement

The Maya family was among the first to settle here when they moved from Chinotimba, an older, more congested neighbourhood.

They never expected that all these years later, nearly half of Mkhosana, including their own street, would still lack the storm drains necessary to collect and channel excess surface water away from homes when it rains.

“The population has also grown over the years, which is good as there are new businesses, which employ locals,” Maya says.

Advertisement

“However, the local authority needs to stay ahead of the population growth in the town.”

Victoria Falls received its highest rainfall and the city’s namesake feature recorded its highest inflows in a decade last year, according to the Zambezi River Authority, the administrative body that manages the waterway between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

A 2021 World Bank report on climate in sub-Saharan Africa says floods between 2010 and 2019 had increased tenfold in the region compared with the period between 1970 and 1979.

Advertisement

Residents of flood-prone neighbourhoods have taken matters into their own hands: digging their own trenches, about a metre wide and two meters deep, to redirect water; erecting brick barriers; and using pots and buckets to bail out their homes when it rains.

“The rainy season is quite stressful,” says Khethiwe Mlilo, a Mkhosana resident since 2019.

“In addition to flooding, the heavy rains also cause property destruction.”

Advertisement

Mlilo moved to Mkhosana from Gweru, a city in central Zimbabwe, to launch her business selling secondhand clothes in a local market, while her husband works in South Africa and sends home money to help support her and their two daughters.

They settled in a temporary structure, intending to build a stronger home there within a year, but the subsequent years of a pandemic and rainy seasons have delayed their efforts.

The Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association, whose representatives are chosen by the local population, has been lobbying the municipality for improvements, says Nguquko Tshili, association secretary general.

Advertisement

But, he says, residents are also to blame for carelessly clogging the existing drains.

“Residents have a tendency of throwing litter all over,” Tshili says.

“When it rains, the litter then blocks the few storm drains present in the suburb, the water then cannot move, and this also contributes to flooding in the suburb.”

Advertisement

The association routinely warns residents against littering, including through a community programme in November as the rainy season was beginning.

The municipality also has increased garbage collection services to reduce the problem, he says.

While demand for more residential land use has remained strong, developing infrastructure that can support the population growth must take priority, Dingani says.

Advertisement

The municipality has budgeted US$1.6 million for road repairs and drainage construction, with work scheduled to begin in mid-April, he says.

The coronavirus pandemic’s ongoing economic impact also remains a challenge.

As of January, Victoria Falls residents and businesses owed more than $200 million (US$1.5 million) in utility payments, which the municipality needs to fund storm drain management, garbage collection and sewage services, Dingani says.

Advertisement

Maya’s tourism business has dried up.

Until visitors return to pre-pandemic levels or the municipality repairs the storm drain in their neighbourhood — ideally, both — his family must borrow furniture and electronics.

They make any repairs they can manage on less than US$1,800 a month.

Advertisement

“Each time it rains, and water enters the house, we scoop it into buckets,” says his wife, Rutendo Maya.

“When the rainy season began, water flooded our house, and we lost property worth about US$8,000.”

Not everyone dreads the rain. For residents working in construction and carpentry, business has never been better.

Advertisement

“This is the fifth house we are repairing this month,” says Reginald Mutsvakiwa, a local builder who had a busy start to the year.

“It may be sad for people affected, but for our business, it’s good.”  – Global Press Journal

Advertisement

In the community

Crocodile attacks claim 9 lives, injure 11

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A surge in crocodile attacks has left a trail of death and destruction in Zimbabwe, with 9 fatalities and 11 injuries reported in the last two months.

Advertisement

According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 49 human-crocodile conflict cases were recorded during the same period, resulting in the loss of 44 cattle and 60 goats.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Lake Kariba, Angwa River, and Hunyani River, was the hardest hit, with 19 cases reported. The Central region recorded 14 cases, while 16 cases were reported in other areas, including Matopo, Harare, North-West Matabeleland, and South-East Low-veld.

ZimParks has urged communities to exercise extreme caution, especially around water bodies, during the current rain season. The authority has advised communities to ensure that livestock and children are not left unattended near rivers or lakes, and to take precautions when engaging in water activities such as fishing, swimming, and domestic chores.

Advertisement

To mitigate the situation, ZimParks is working closely with local authorities and conservation partners to raise public awareness and promote safety practices. The authority has emphasized its commitment to finding a balance between ensuring public safety and conserving wildlife.

As the situation continues to unfold, ZimParks has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings or attacks to the authorities.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Nkayi

Nkayi man sentenced to 20 years for murdering patron

Published

on

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a High Court circuit sitting in Hwange, a 23-year-old man from Gwelutshena was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder.

Advertisement

Mtabisi Ndimande was convicted of killing a 39-year-old man in a brutal axe attack that occurred on August 5, 2024, at DZ Sports Bar in Inyathi.

The court heard that Ndimande had been drinking beer with the deceased when an argument ensued.

Despite intervention from a security guard, Ndimande pulled out an axe and struck the deceased on the head.

Advertisement

The blow caused the deceased to collapse, while the axe remained embedded in his head. The offender then removed the axe and walked away.

The deceased bled profusely and was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on August 6, 2024.

The police responded to the scene and recovered the axe.

Advertisement

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Hwange

Drugs causing mayhem in Victoria Falls

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The scourge of drugs and substance abuse is tearing families apart in the city of Victoria Falls as young people resort to dangerous substances to cope with mounting economic problems.

Advertisement

Victoria Falls, like most urban areas in Zimbabwe, is battling against a surge in cases of drugs and substance abuse, which has seen the government launching various programmes to curb the crisis.

Eslina Sibanda, a Mkhosana resident whose son was forced to drop out of college due to drug addiction, narrated her heart-rending ordeal in an interview with NewsHub.

“He was a bright student, but then he started experimenting with mbanje and other substances,” Sibanda said.

Advertisement

“Before we knew it, he was hooked. We tried to get him help, but it was too late.

“He dropped out of college and he now struggles to find a job.”

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, approximately 750 000 people in Zimbabwe use cannabis, while 150 000 use other illicit drugs.

Advertisement

The same report noted that 14.6 percent of males and 5.6 percent of females aged between 15 and 65 years engage in hazardous or harmful drinking.

In a dramatic event that gripped Victoria Falls last November, 82 year-old Paul Siangapi was forced to take his son, Wonder, to court after he attempted to stab a family member in a drug-fuelled rage.

Siangapi pleaded with the magistrate to send his 40year-old son to jail for years, saying after the death of his mother, almost a decade ago, he started smoking cannabis (mbanje) and abusing alcohol.

Advertisement

He said Wonder became abusive even to his grandchildren as a result of drug abuse.

The magistrate subsequently ruled that he must be referred to the Mlondolozi Mental Health Prison in Bulawayo where he is being treated for his addiction together with seven others from Victoria Falls who were facing charges of committing offences under the influence of drugs.

Siangapi told News Hub from his Chinotimba home that his life had become hell on earth because of his son’s drugs problem.

Advertisement

“He is ok there (in prison),” Siangapi said. “I was always running away from him. He would lock the gate, deprive me of food and, at times, l would sleep in the car outside the gate because of him.”

On 18 February, Information minister, Jenfan Muswere, said the police had arrested 9, 527  people and dismantled 79 illegal drug bases as part of a countrywide crackdown on drug and substance abuse between 1 September 2024 and 31 January 2025.

Muswere told a post-Cabinet briefing that 616 drug suppliers and 8 911 drug users had been arrested during the operation.

Advertisement

The government has also established three new rehabilitation centres for drug addicts in Victoria Falls, Harare and Kwekwe.

The ministry of Health and Child Care notes that substance abuse is a major contributor to mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and psychosis.

Mental health experts say a combination of factors that include poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education and healthcare drive young people into drugs and substance abuse.

Advertisement

“Young people are turning to substances as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of their lives,” said Silvester Nyoni, a local psychologist. “We need to address the root causes of this crisis, rather than just treating the symptoms.”

Rufaro Nyakwende, a social worker at the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, said the impact of substance abuse was far-reaching as affected not only individuals, but also families, communities, and the economy.

“Substance abuse is leading to tracking substance use,” Nyakwende said.

Advertisement

“At the end of the day, people have mental issues such as depression, anxiety, and this leads to interest in another driver of tracking substance use, which is peer pressure. A lot of children experience peer pressure through interactions, observation, learning, and playing.

“People may admire the effects of someone using drugs and end up using those drugs themselves. This is another driver of tracking substance use. When they continue using drugs, it also leads to mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety, and this is what leads to a high risk of suicide,” added Nyakwende.

She said the community also exerts too much pressure on young people.

Advertisement

“There’s also the issue of social pressures. The community expects certain things from people,” Nyakwende added.

“For instance, by a certain age, you’re expected to have achieved certain milestones, such as having a proper job and a family.

“But when you fail to meet these expectations, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, which can contribute to higher rates of suicide.”

Advertisement

The government launched the National Substance Abuse Policy in 2020 as one of the ways to deal with the scourge.

For Nyoni, however, more needs to be done to provide support and resources for those struggling with addiction.

“We need to increase funding for treatment centres, counselling services, and support groups,” he said.

Advertisement

“We also need to raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse and provide education and job training programs for young people.”

SOURCE: NEWS HUB

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage