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Victoria Falls tourism execs in 35 days charity cycling trip

Published

2 years ago

February 7, 2023

BY STAFF REPORTER

Mike Davis of Shearwater and Mike Johnson of the Bayethe Collection have embarked on a rare cycling trip covering 3 000 km between Victoria Falls and Cape Town to raise about 20 000 Pounds for educational charity.

The two started the journey nine days ago from Victoria Falls and expect to reach Cape Town after 35 days and to have raised 20 000 Pounds to be used for educating vulnerable children in Victoria Falls.

Mike Davis is Shearwater chief executive officer while Mike Johnson is co-owner of Bayethe Collection.

They have named their initiative 2MadMikes on Bikes.

“Mike Davis and Mike Johnson are currently cycling on a 3 000 km journey between Victoria Falls and Cape Town to raise 20 000 Pound to fund education for children in need within Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe community,” they posted on an Instagram page.

They said they covered 750 km from Victoria Falls to Rundu in Namibia in the first week, raising over 6 000 Pounds.

The duo said the trip is a mid-life crisis thing traversing parts of four countries.

Their story

“We are Mike Davis and Mike Johnson, two slightly overweight, mid-life crisis-afflicted individuals known more for our hedonistic lifestyles than for our feats of endurance.

But we have thrown ourselves into a “New Year; new me” mentality and undertaken a “Grand Cycle Tour” from

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Cape Town, South Africa.

“Leaving on 1st February 2023 from our homes in Victoria Falls, our epic cycle tour will take us 35 days, through four countries and over a distance of approximately 3 000 km to the finish line in the Fair Cape,” they said.

They said with the help of the local school system, council wards and communities, they had identified children who are unable to afford school fees.

Annual school fees for an ordinary child is about US$150, the duo said.

“We would appreciate as much or as little as you are able to donate and for every US$150 we raise, you will be sending a child to school for a year. It might be small but it is a fundamental step to helping children change their prospects by breaking the no-education; no-employment cycle.” they added.

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Zimparks launches elephant culling program

Published

3 days ago

June 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to address the growing elephant population in Save Valley Conservancy, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) has issued permits for a controlled elephant management exercise.

The exercise, slated to commence shortly, aims to cull an initial 50 elephants from the conservancy, which is currently home to 2,550 elephants – more than three times the ecological carrying capacity of 800 elephants.

According to ZimParks, the conservancy has been struggling to cope with the swelling elephant population, which has put a strain on the wildlife habitat and resources. Over the past five years, the conservancy has translocated 200 elephants to other areas, including Hurungwe and Sapi, in an effort to manage the population.

Zimparks says the controlled culling exercise is expected to provide relief to the conservancy’s ecosystem, while also benefiting local communities.

Elephant meat from the exercise will be distributed to local communities while the ivory will be kept by the State.

In a statement, ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo emphasized the authority’s commitment to responsible and sustainable wildlife management.

“We remain committed to ensuring that our wildlife resources are managed in a responsible and sustainable manner, for the benefit of present and future generations.”

In the community

Hwange police seek public’s help in locating missing teen

Published

3 weeks ago

May 15, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Hwange police are urgently seeking the public’s assistance in locating 16-year-old Latoya Lisa Munkuli, who went missing on May 7, this month.

Latoya, a dark-complexioned female juvenile, was last seen leaving her residence in Hwange around 4 pm.

She was wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of green trousers and a white T-shirt, and carried a black satchel. She stands approximately 1.6 meters tall.

Inspector Glory Banda of the Hwange police is leading the investigation and urges anyone with information about Latoya’s whereabouts to come forward.

If you have any information about Latoya’s disappearance, please contact Inspector Banda on 0785961747 or 0771256607.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

2 months ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.