National

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

Published

4 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

Zimbabwe export surge, diaspora inflows mask funding gaps in foreign affairs sector

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Zimbabwe is seeing strong gains in export earnings and diaspora remittances, but lawmakers warn chronic underfunding is undermining the country’s diplomatic and economic ambitions.

Parliament heard that remittances reached about $1.8 billion by the third quarter of 2025, while exports rose sharply, helping cut the trade deficit. Lawmakers said the diaspora remains “a vital source of foreign exchange, directly contributing to the enhancement of the nation’s foreign reserves and overall economic stability.”

However, MPs said financial constraints are weakening the institutions meant to sustain that growth. The Zimbabwe Foreign Services Institute received only a fraction of its budget, limiting recruitment and training.

“The staffing shortfall has inevitably affected operational efficiency and the institute’s ability to discharge its core mandate,” the committee report noted.

Lawmakers warned that without consistent funding, gains in exports and diaspora engagement could stall, particularly as Zimbabwe pushes toward an export-led economy.

National

Government pushes vaccines drive as MPs warn of rural access gaps, misinformation

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwean lawmakers have called for urgent action to close immunisation gaps, warning that rural communities remain vulnerable due to weak access and persistent misinformation.

Speaking during Africa Vaccination Week, MPs said vaccines remain “among the most effective, equitable and transformative public health interventions,” but coverage remains uneven.

“Persistent gaps endure, particularly in rural and underserved areas where barriers of access, awareness and trust continue to impede full immunisation coverage,” one legislator told Parliament.

Lawmakers urged stronger investment in cold-chain systems and public engagement campaigns, stressing that immunisation is not just a health issue but “a strategic development imperative” tied to productivity and national growth.

National

EcoCash bill splitting signals rise of social commerce in Zimbabwe

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

EcoCash’s latest bill-splitting feature on its Super App is not just a product upgrade, it is part of a broader shift towards “social commerce,” where financial transactions are embedded directly into everyday conversations.

Traditionally, sending money has been a deliberate, separate action: open the app, enter details, confirm payment. But with EcoCash’s integrated chat environment, that process is being redefined. Payments now happen in the same space where decisions are made — within conversations among friends, families and colleagues.

This development, which is being driven by Sasai Fintech, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, result is a more natural flow between communication and commerce.

This model, often referred to as chat-first payments, is gaining traction globally. Platforms such as Venmo in the United States and Revolut in Europe have popularised the idea of embedding payments into social interactions, allowing users to split bills, request funds and settle expenses within a messaging context.

EcoCash’s move signals that Zimbabwe is aligning with — and in some ways accelerating — this global trend.

Unlike many mature markets where card-based payments dominated before social features were layered on, Zimbabwe’s mobile-first ecosystem provides a different foundation. Mobile money is already deeply embedded in daily life, making it easier to integrate financial services into conversational platforms without requiring a behavioural overhaul.

By placing bill-splitting within its chat interface, EcoCash is effectively turning conversations into transaction points. A group discussing dinner plans can now split the bill instantly. Colleagues organising transport can settle contributions in real time. Families coordinating school fees or groceries can move from agreement to payment without leaving the chat thread.

This convergence of messaging and money is at the heart of social commerce.

From a strategic standpoint, the implications are significant. Each conversation has the potential to generate multiple transactions, increasing activity on the platform while strengthening user engagement. Payments become less of a task and more of a seamless extension of communication.

Industry analysts note that this model tends to drive higher transaction frequency and user retention, as financial interactions become habitual rather than occasional. For EcoCash, the bill-splitting feature is a practical entry point into this space, simple enough to encourage adoption, yet powerful enough to shift behaviour.