National

Victoria Falls residents wants council to cut on luxuries

Published

4 years ago

October 21, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Victoria Falls residents have asked the city council to cut down on luxuries and prioritise service delivery in its 2022 budget.

Council says it expects to spend $1.9 billion next year and tariffs would be raised by 68 percent from April 2022.

Residents, who attended a budget consultative meeting on Tuesday, said instead of allocating huge amounts of money on office furniture and other luxuries, the local authority should consider funding social services such as health delivery.

They said the city fathers must also consider that the majority of Victoria Falls residents lost their jobs after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic slowed down global travel.

“When we look at your capital expenditure, it doesn’t seem to prioritise service delivery yet when we talk about the development of the town, that’s what we should be talking about” said Yvonne Jandles, who was representing representing the Hotels Association of Zimbabwe.

“For example, if you look at the first three sections which deals with the mayor, the town clerk and the chamber secretary, the question is, how many times are we going to keep buying them furniture.

“Here you list that you need to buy television sets, fridges, coffee makers and projectors and more things.

“Given the place where we find ourselves as a city, we desperately need a well thought out budget

“I think we can do away with (luxuries) for now and if we take away all these things, we can reduce the budget by at least $48 million.”

Jandles added: “Your figures there, like (the allocation) for the town clerk’s office rose from $6 million to $28 million for 2022 yet we have Chinotimba Clinic with only $21 million and a zero budget for Mkhosana Clinic.

“We are not castigating you, but we are saying you should be realistic and cut down on the things that are not important.”

Council’s finance director Neville Ndlovu, however, defended the budget saying the furniture and other equipment they wanted to replace was in a poor state.

“This is what brings efficiency in terms of proper work,” Ndlovu told the residents.

“For instance, I am struggling with the printer which takes two to three days to printout.

“So, if I can get a good printer, I will be able to deliver.

“Service delivery is also about equipping those that are delivering the service so that they are able to be where you want them to be at the appropriate time.”

Ndlovu said some of the capital projects would be financed through devolution funds from central government and borrowings from the open market.

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Kelvin Moyo asked the local authority to roll over the 2021 supplementary of $1 billion to June next year as it was only approved this month.

After consultations between councillors and town clerk Ronnie Dube, it was agreed that the local authority will only review tariffs in May 2021 after the implementation of the supplementary budget.

Ndlovu said the proposed tariffs review will be spread quarterly to factor in inflation trends.

“Our proposed tariffs from January to March will continue with what was approved on the supplementary budget, then a review of 68 percent will be implemented on the 1st of April then 12 percent on the 1st of July, and another 12 percent on the 1st of October,” he said.

Other community organisations such as the Victoria Falls United Residents Association and Hwange Residents Association also appealed for council to be transparent in the management of resources to cultivate trust.

They also pleaded with council to consider funding sporting activities in the town to promote sport tourism.

Two representatives for residents living with disabilities said council’s proposed budget did not cater for their needs.

“The president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) has proposed a policy that takes into consideration the disabled and I am disappointed that here, where the change to consider the disabled should begin, there is no such,” one of the representatives said.

“Your budget is silent on us, the youths and even women yet we are the neediest.

As a way of generating funds, other residents suggested that council should consider land sales, pricing of beer halls and updating its systems to bill some hotels and lodges that are not paying anything

National

30 killed in Easter road crashes as pedestrians bear the brunt

Published

2 days ago

April 9, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has reported a worrying rise in road fatalities during the 2026 Easter holiday, despite a decline in the total number of accidents.

According to the police, 30 people were killed in road traffic accidents during the holiday period, up from 24 deaths recorded in 2025. However, the total number of accidents dropped from 384 in 2025 to 337 in 2026, while injuries also decreased significantly from 178 to 104.

Police said 22 of the recorded accidents were fatal, compared to 21 during the same period last year.

Pedestrians most affected

Pedestrians accounted for the majority of fatalities, making up 63% of the deaths (19 people). Passengers were the second most affected group with seven deaths (23%), followed by drivers with three (10%), while one rider (3%) was killed.

Speeding, overtaking blamed

Authorities identified speeding as the leading cause of accidents during the period, with many drivers losing control of their vehicles. Unsafe overtaking was also cited as a major contributor to head-on collisions.

Deadly incidents recorded

One of the most tragic incidents occurred on 2 April 2026, when six family members died after a head-on collision between a Toyota Corolla and a truck along the Harare–Masvingo Road.

In another traffic accident , seven people were killed and four injured on 3 April 2026 at the 51km peg along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Road. A truck rammed into three vehicles — a Nissan March, Toyota Probox and Toyota Hiace — before striking pedestrians who had gathered at the scene.

Police warning

The police have urged motorists to exercise caution, obey traffic laws and avoid speeding, especially during peak travel periods. Drivers involved in accidents are also being reminded to stop, render assistance and report incidents.

National

Econet InfraCo targets ultra-luxury market with Vic Falls resort

Published

2 days ago

April 9, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Econet InfraCo has unveiled plans for a multimillion-dollar luxury resort in Victoria Falls, marking a strategic push by the billion-dollar infrastructure platform into high-end tourism.

The development, branded Vic Falls Lifestyle, will feature 40 luxury residential villas supported by premium amenities, including restaurants, wellness centres and sports facilities.

Chief executive Fayaz King described the project as a landmark for Zimbabwe’s luxury tourism segment.
“These will be among the most exclusive residential properties ever developed in Zimbabwe, designed to meet top-tier international hospitality standards comparable to presidential suites in leading global hotels,” he said.

The project aims to reposition Victoria Falls as a destination for affluent global travellers seeking privacy, exclusivity and fully integrated services.
Recently listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange with a valuation of about US$1 billion, Econet InfraCo said the resort will include a 24-hour, 10-bed private hospital offering emergency and dental services—an amenity tailored to high-net-worth clientele.
Security and privacy will be central to the offering, with the gated development providing round-the-clock protection for residents and guests.

Under the investment model, buyers will own individual villas but will be required to place them in a rental pool for up to 11 months a year, balancing personal use with income generation.

“Victoria Falls needs developments of this calibre to attract visitors who not only spend, but invest,” King said.

Econet founder and group chairman Strive Masiyiwa played an advisory role in shaping the concept and is expected to be among the property owners.
The company said the project has already drawn interest from local and diaspora investors, as well as international buyers.

Land has been secured, planning is at an advanced stage, and construction is scheduled to begin before year-end.

The Victoria Falls resort is Econet InfraCo’s second major project. Its flagship, Econet Tech City, is a planned industrial and technology hub near Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, expected to host around 300 businesses across more than 800 hectares.

National

Parliament moves to curb machete gang violence in rural areas

Published

3 days ago

April 8, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Lawmakers are demanding an urgent security crackdown in rural constituencies following a report of nearly 1 000 violent incidents involving machete-wielding gangs over a four-year period.

A motion moved by Brown Ndlovu highlighted the “horrific terror unleashed by machete-wielding gangsters” in the Vungu Constituency of Midlands Province, where murders, robberies, and assaults have reportedly become a daily occurrence. Official records presented to the House show that 997 violent cases were reported in the Vungu district alone between 2021 and 2025 .

Hwange Central MP, Daniel Molokele, recently raised the alarm to VicFallsLive, following his tour at Inyathi District Hospital, where he revealed that the gold panners were now digging under the hospital and that most casualties and admissions at the hospital were linked to machete-gang violence.

Parliamentarians expressed sharp “disdain” for current judicial practices, noting that the integrity of the legal system is at risk . The motion criticized the fact that “suspects who perpetrate such horrendous crimes are often granted bail and allowed to return to the same communities where they freely continue to molest and intimidate victims and witnesses,”a practice they say grossly undermines public safety.

The House has called for the Zimbabwe Republic Police in rural areas to be modernized and properly equipped. Specifically, lawmakers are urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide officers with “adequate tools of trade such as vehicles, modern communication equipment, and weapons to wade off criminal activities”. Additionally, the motion proposes that bail should be denied in machete-related cases and that state witnesses be granted enhanced protection from “intimidation, retributions and retaliations”