Chronicle Editor
TWENTYTWENTY has been a roller-coaster of a year for Victoria Falls.
In March, the tourism industry — the mainstay of Victoria Falls — started recording cancellations of bookings and trips by international travellers following the outbreak of Covid-19. Most hotels and operators sent workers on forced leave due to lost business.
And now eight months after the announcement of the first Covid-19 induced lockdown in the country, the resort town municipality is upgrading into a city.
The local authority is only waiting for official pronouncement by President Mnangagwa who is expected to visit the resort town on a date to be advised for the conferment.
The municipality also plans to honour the President with the Freedom of the City, the highest honour bestowed by a municipality to a valuable member of the community or to a visiting dignitary.
Victoria Falls will be honouring President Mnangagwa for his contribution to the town’s growth into a city and he becomes the first recipient of the honour in the history of the town.
Said Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somvelo Dlamini: “We applied way back around 2014 and a few years later a commission was sent to assess our capability. The commission made its investigations and was convinced by the findings leading to approval by the Minister and Parliament.
“We have come a long way and we are excited that it is finally happening. We are just waiting for official pronouncement. There is a lot of anxiety in town and council although some sections think this will in turn lead to a hike in rates. The truth is this will bring immense development hence we are eagerly awaiting the day. As a mayor I am very proud.”
Once fully granted the status, Victoria Falls will become the first city in Matabeleland North and also the first city based on tourism in the country, competing with Cape Town regionally.
Victoria Falls, which boasts of a state-of-the-art airport, is the core of the Victoria Falls Area Tourism Development Plan and recently approved special economic zone (SEZ) corridor which comprises Masuwe Stateland, Batoka City, Mlibizi, Binga Centre, Sijalila, Hwange Hinterland and Gwayi Shangani resort, which all seek to improve tourism in and around Victoria Falls.
The launch of the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) last month kick starts the operationalisation of the Victoria Falls Special Economic Zone.
It must be noted that the recovery of Victoria Falls from the effects of Covid-19 on tourism, will not be an event but a process.
The concerted effort of Central Government, local government and the private sector will be needed to make Victoria Falls the great city it deserves to be.
Infrastructural development and other forms of investment will be needed to put the country’s youngest city at the top of the global tourism map.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency have a lot of work to do in terms of marketing the tourism city.
Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, Paris, Dubai, New York, Kuala Lumpur, the list of the world’s most visited cities should be incomplete without Victoria Falls. These famous cities have skyscrapers everywhere, but Victoria
Falls is a natural and not a concrete jungle. The young city beats them all.
Victoria Falls should rise from the ashes of Covid-19 and become the global leader in tourism.
Online Reporter