BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI & BRENDA NCUBE

Two women from Hwange, Jambesi under Shana, are currently admitted at Victoria Falls Hospital after a traumatic crocodile attack at Matetsi River.

Our organization, VicFallsLive, visited them at the hospital, where we witnessed their struggles firsthand.

Initially, the women agreed to conduct an interview, but later declined, stating they were “sorted” and didn’t need assistance with medication or food.

However, their relatives revealed that they are in dire need of injections and food, both in the hospital and at home.

It became apparent that the women had lost trust in organizations and individuals who had promised to help but disappeared after allegedly coming to interview them and taking records since their admission almost two weeks ago.

We then contacted Fanuel Mudimba, the councillor for Jambesi ward seven, who provided context to the attack.

According to Mudimba, the women were fishing at Matetsi River, a community river where villagers are legally allowed to fish in when they were attacked by a crocodile.

One woman was severely injured on her left arm, while the other sustained injuries on her fingers and arm while trying to rescue her companion.

The councillor highlighted the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict in Jambesi, where residents live in fear of crocodile and elephant attacks.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Kulokufuthelana kwabakubandla eliphikisayo eleCitizens Coalition for Change (CCC) kulandela ukufungiswa kukaMnumzana Tonderai Mutasa webandla leZanu PF eVictoria Falls, kungenziwanga ukhetho lwe-byelection lokudinga ukhansila kuWard 1.

UMutasa bekufuze ancintisane lo Mnumzana Ephias Mambume owebandla leCCC, kodwa obebhalise ukukhankasa ezimele.  Ngenyanga edluleyo, esinye sezakhamizi sammangalela emthethwandaba ukuba kabhadali imithelo lamanzi ekhansilini, okwenza emalangeni inkundla yomthwethwandaba ephezulu inqume ukuba ufunyanwa elecala leli, okumthathela ilungelo lokuthi ancintise ngomthetho welizwe.

Lokhu kuhle kwapha igunya abe Zanu PF ukuba uMutasa afungiswe engavotelwangwa. Ngemva komcimbi lo, sixoxe loMnumzana Matthew Muleya ongumgcinisihlalo webandla le Zanu PF ngempumela le kanye lobukhohlakali obubikwa busenzakala edolobheni leli, okuyikho abeCCC abathi kuvinjelwe uMambume ngesizatho sokuba ubezabuveza.

“Kuyibufakazi kithi ukuba iZanu Pf iselempilo edolobheni leli, uMambume waxotshwa yi CCC, njalo ubengabhadali ama rates lamanzi, kithi yikho sakubona kumqoka ukuthi simuse emthethweni. Okokuthi kulobukhohlakakali lapha, asikwazi thina ngoba besivele silokhansila oyedwa abanye bengabe CCC, so siyathaba ngoba sebezikhulumele bodwa ukuba bayatshotsha.”

UMambume uthi wesulelwa  nje icala angalaziyo. Ephendula ngokulotshiweyo, uthe usephanyeke edale le Supreme Court incwadi yokuphikisa isinqumo secala leli, ethi ebekhansilini besebenza labe Zanu PF bakupheka lokhu. Uthi usalinde ilanga lokuhlalelwa kwecala leli esima ngelokuthi ukhansila ukhethwa ngabantu, hatshi lokhu okwenzakeleyo.

Sixoxe loMnumzana Promise Mkhwananzi isikhulumeli seCCC, oveze ukuba yibuqili obenzakalayo, lokufiphazwa kwamalungelo oluntu.

“Kuvamile lokhu ukuthi inkudla yomthetho ingenele endabeni se politiki ikakhulu emabandleni aphikisayo njalo lokudelela umthetho sisekelo welizwe ngokwalela izizalwane ukuba zizikhethele ezimfunayo. Sizamile ukuba uMambume azimele yedwa, kodwa ngoba besesaba umongameli Nelson Chamisa, benze ngabomo ukumvimba, okunye njalo bafihla inkohlakalo ezenzakala edolobheni leli besebenza beyi cabal

 “Izanu Pf ifana lamanye nje amabandla njenge Zapu, CCC. Asibuyeli emuva siya eSupreme Court ukuze sifake kuma records ethu ukwephulwa komthetho njalo sisazobaqonda nhla abe judiciary ngalokhu kusiyaphambili.”

Sibuze ohola ikhansili ye Victoria Falls, uMnumzana Ronnie Dube, ukuzwa ngobukhohlakali lobu obuphakanyiswa nguMkhwananzi, oma ngelokuthi kusazogedl’amazinyo.

 “Ngingeke ngiphawule ngokukhulunywe nguMkhwananzi engingamaziyo, okuqakathekileyo yikuthi uma inyamanza isifa iyaqhatsha. Uqhatsha laye uMambume iqiniso yikuthi akutshoyo nge corruption thina siyi public entity njalo kulemthetho ebekwe nguhulumende ukudila lakho lokho. Loba ngubani olubufakazi obubambekayo engaya kuZACC engayi kusocial media ngoba kayila sixazululo.”

Ukugcotshwa kuka Mutasa, yena oyale ukhululuma lomsakazo lo,  kubeyisiphangiphangi, nanku ngoba ihlekana ebelikulinkundla yokufungiswa kwakhe belingelebandla le Zanu PF kuphela, okuyikho abebandla le CCC abathi kukhombisa ukuba kukhona okunuka santungwana.

Sixoxe laye umamangalela uMambume, uMnumzana Akim Mutorera, othi ukungakhokhi kukaMambume wazibonela yedwa, kodwa wehlukelile ukuchaza ukuba ukoloda imali enganani.

Inhlanganiso ezimeleyo eye Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association ibingekho kuluncimbi, njalo bathe abasoze bayibambe ngekhanda, bazaphendula bengazwisisa okuyikho kanye okwenzakalayo.

SOURCE| VOA

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Residents of Victoria Falls are struggling to coexist with a large number of buffaloes that have taken over the streets of both high-density urban areas and low-residential areas.

The buffaloes seem to be everywhere, leaving residents frustrated and desperate.

Videos taken by residents and VicFallsLive, our media organization, show people trying to chase them away using sticks and rocks, but the buffaloes are undeterred.

This morning, three buffaloes blocked the road on Jakaranda Street, eating leaves from the trees and grass.

Despite the distress calls from residents, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) maintains that the buffaloes are within their habitat.

“I think we need to understand who is is saying there has been a growing trend of buffalos in Victoria Falls for an example, l think the numbers we have in Victoria Falls we don’t have much problems with them and this is what attracts tourists,”said Tinashe Farawo, Zimparks spokesperson.

“It’s a tourist town and one of the major draw-cuts for tourists is those buffalos. It is definitely their habitat that’s where they stay in the wild.”

However, residents disagree. They say the buffaloes are causing a nuisance and pose a danger to humans.

“We are working hard to make a living, and now we have to deal with these wild animals in our streets,” said Khulani Ncube.

In one incident, about 40 buffaloes blocked the road on Mkhosana Street near Kazungula Road, eating vegetables. “It’s like they own the place,” said Trymore Ndolo who witnessed the scene, adding that they might cause a casualty if action is not taken.

While the Zimparks says that the buffaloes are a tourist attraction, residents argue that their safety should come first.

“We understand that tourism is important, but what about our lives?” asked a resident.