National

‘We have no infrastructure’, Victoria Falls City Council speaks on water shortages

Published

3 years ago

October 31, 2022

BY STAFF WRITER

Victoria Falls City Council has blamed the perennial water shortages, especially in summer, on inadequate infrastructure.

Some residential areas have gone for over two months without reliable water supply.

Usually, council struggles to supply sufficient water between August and December due to depleting water levels on the Zambezi River, which makes pumping difficult.

Mkhosana suburb endures dry taps on a daily basis because pumping is direct from the treatment plant to houses while in other high density suburbs such as Mfelandawonye and Chinotimba, water is only available at night because the section of the suburb is on higher ground.

Town clerk Ronnie Dube told VicFallsLive that due to obsolete infrastructure and lack of funds to purchase the new ones, the city was unable to provide smooth service delivery.

“I think people should understand the issue of water because this has been an ongoing problem, not because Dube is the town clerk,” Dube said.

“It’s a legacy issue where I find that the town has been growing without corresponding infrastructure and development.

“The council in 2014 came up with a feasibility study for a water and sanitation project, which was valued at US$14 million and from 2014 to date, we have failed to raise money to do that project until this year where we disposed of some piece of land for about US$4 million.

“We are already in the process of tendering. So by the end of this month we would have flighted a tender from Mkhosana water reservoirs and we hope that those reservoirs will now help with supplying water in those low lying area of Mkhosana.”

He revealed that the crisis has also received the attention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, prompting him to make a pledge to ensure the government to provide US$6 million.

The money has not been disbursed.

“The money that we are using in this work was raised internally,” Dube said.

“The council is trying to use whatever is at its disposal to try and solve the dilemma that they find themselves in.

”When the president of Zimbabwe came to Victoria Falls he promised to helps us with US$6 million for the river pump station and for our water works, but that money is still pending.

“It hasn’t been given to us or neither has there been any contractor assigned to do that work.”

Dube pleaded with residents from low density areas to be considerate of those who live in high density areas as they fill their jojo tanks for the purposes of gardening.

“People should use water sparingly during this time of the year where water levels in the river are low and water consumption is too high,” he added.

“People use portable water for both their gardens and for consumption, so we ask people to stop the issue of using horse pipes and the issue of filling water in large containers like jojo tanks so that water is shared by many people.

“Imagine if someone has a 10 000 litre jojo tank and he or she fills that tank before someone in Mkhosana gets water.

“The problem needs to be managed and the residents should also take responsibility and everyone else in the city should also take responsibility until this matter is resolved.”

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

4 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”