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Victoria Falls residents struggling to stay afloat in a dream destination

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BY FORTUNE MOYO

The splattering of raindrops gives Blessing Maya sleepless nights.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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“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

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In the community

MPs raise alarm over illegal gold mining threatening Inyathi hospital

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has raised serious concern over illegal gold mining activities taking place directly beneath Inyathi District Hospital in Bubi District, Matabeleland North — warning that the facility’s infrastructure could collapse if the practice continues unchecked.

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The revelation came during the committee’s ongoing verification visits to rural health centres across Zimbabwe, aimed at assessing the state of medical infrastructure, equipment, and essential drug availability. The visits, led by Hon. Daniel Molokele, are being conducted on behalf of the committee chairperson, Hon. Dr. Thokozani Khupe.

Speaking to VicFallsLive, Molokele said the team was shocked to discover that artisanal miners (amakorokoza) had extended their illegal mining tunnels under the hospital grounds.

“One of the things that we found at Inyathi District Hospital is that amakorokoza are now doing their gold mining right under the hospital,” said Molokele. “They used to do it outside, but now they have gone beneath the facility. There is a real risk that the infrastructure might collapse because of the underground pressure. This is lawlessness that the government urgently needs to address.”

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Molokele added that the situation reflects broader governance and enforcement challenges in mining communities, where unregulated artisanal mining continues to threaten both public safety and environmental health.

“Most of the cases that patients come with are physical wounds — largely injuries from violent clashes among the amakorokoza,” he said. “There’s a lot of violence happening there, and it is putting a heavy burden on an already under-resourced hospital.”

The committee, which began its tour on Monday in Inyathi before proceeding to Avoca in Insiza District (Matabeleland South), Gundura in Masvingo, and Mutiusinazita in Buhera (Manicaland), is compiling findings that will inform parliamentary recommendations.

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“We will produce a report that will have clear recommendations,” Molokele said. “The National Assembly will debate it, and the Minister of Health will use it to engage the Minister of Finance, especially in the upcoming budget process. We are hoping for a renewed focus on rural healthcare centres, which have been neglected and underfunded for many years.”

Molokele said the verification exercise — though limited by time and financial constraints — seeks to highlight conditions in at least one rural health facility per province.

The committee’s findings come at a time when Zimbabwe’s rural health infrastructure is under severe strain, with many facilities struggling with drug shortages, outdated equipment, and deteriorating buildings. The situation in Inyathi now adds a new dimension of danger — where illegal mining is not only threatening livelihoods but also public infrastructure meant to save lives.

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Painted Dog Conservation and Uncommon bring free coding school to Gwai Valley Primary

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), in partnership with technology-driven organisation Uncommon, is set to establish a free coding school at Gwai Valley Primary in Lupane District, marking a new chapter in community empowerment and education.

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Speaking during an interview with VicFallsLive, PDC operations director, David Kuvawoga said the initiative stems from the organisation’s long-term work with local schools through its children’s bush camps.

“In our quest to find solutions to the poaching crisis, and building on the work we’ve done with schools over the years, we identified Gwai Primary as a good location to start a coding school,” he explained. “We partnered with Uncommon, which already runs facilities in Harare and Victoria Falls, to bring this opportunity closer to rural communities.”

The school will be housed in container units equipped with computers and other necessary technology. According to PDC, the project will be led by youths from the Gwai community who underwent year-long training in Victoria Falls and are now prepared to teach children — and adults — the fundamentals of coding.

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“This is not just for schoolchildren,” the operations director said. “Anyone in the community with the passion to learn can join. What matters is the interest and commitment, not formal qualifications.”

Importantly, the programme will be free of charge. Both organisations confirmed that tuition, equipment, and running costs are fully covered through fundraising efforts.

“No one is going to pay a cent,” he said. “Just like our bush camps, which host over a thousand children every year without charge, this coding school is fully funded. All the community needs to do is embrace it.”

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PDC has previously supported communities through projects such as boreholes and gardens, but this marks its first major investment in technology. The director said the initiative has the potential to address unemployment, improve education, and give local youth world-class digital skills.

“Coding is a highly sought-after skill across the world,” he noted. “If young people here can learn it, they can secure jobs or even create employment for others. This is a brick in the foundation of uplifting Lupane, Hwange, and beyond.”

The coding school is expected to open in December at Gwai Valley Primary.

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Lupane police officer sentenced for tampering with mbanje evidence

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A 21-year-old constabulary officer in Lupane has been convicted after admitting he tampered with evidence in a drug possession case, effectively helping a suspect conceal part of the stash.

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The officer, Nqobile Mutale, was on duty at Lupane Terminus Base on the 18th of September when he arrested Thulani Sibanda, who had been implicated in unlawful possession of dagga/imbanje. Instead of handing over the full exhibit, Mutale struck a deal with Sibanda and hid part of the recovered drugs behind the police base.

Detectives later uncovered the hidden dagga, with Mutale leading them to the site during investigations.

Standing before the Lupane Magistrates’ Court, Mutale pleaded guilty to obstructing the course of justice. He was handed a 24-month sentence, with nine months suspended. The balance of 15 months was also suspended, provided he completes 525 hours of community service.

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