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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
CONFUSION surrounds the implementation of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly legacy projects in Victoria Falls as the local authority is yet to avail land for the $60,000 project to the local steering committee.
The resort town was in March this year promised the money from the United Nations after successfully co-hosting last year’s historic UNWTO General Assembly, to build a legacy project.
Livingstone town in Zambia received an equivalent share.
The business community in Victoria Falls had suggested that the money be used to construct a swimming pool with a multi-activity facility to attract world competitions and boost tourism.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Engineer Walter Mzembi selected a steering committee in March to spearhead preparations for the projects and promised the money would be availed within three months.
To date nothing has been done, committee chair Olga Mutamba said.
“We met ministry officials recently but our main issue is that we have been meeting to try and get things going but we have come to a stage where we can’t proceed without land from the council,” Mutamba told Chronicle.
She said the committee appealed to the ministry to make an official request to Victoria Falls Municipality for a piece of land to start work.
Council on the other hand wants the project to be implemented on a disused council swimming pool, which was closed a few years ago.
“The ministry promised to write to the council so that we have a written commitment about a piece of land,” added Mutamba.
She said while council offered the old swimming pool, a legacy project was supposed to start from scratch without upgrading existing structures hence the need for a new piece of land.
“That’s where the bone of contention is. Council says it can’t allocate a new piece of land while we say we can’t revamp an existing structure,” said Mutamba.
The committee expects to meet Victoria Falls mayor, Councillor Sifiso Mpofu, who is also its ex-officio member within a few days. Clr Mpofu said in an interview that the local authority did not have enough land.
“We’ll take the steering committee for a tour of the pool. We had suggested the old pool looking at the council situation where we can’t build houses because we have no land and if they don’t want it, it can be demolished and they can start from the scratch,” said Clr Mpofu.
He said no official communication had come from the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry about the need for virgin land.
The resort town boasts of CHOGM Park, which was constructed after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Summit and Emaplankeni, a brainchild of Comesa, as post-summit legacy projects.
The Victoria Falls community suggested the need for setting up sporting facilities such as soccer and cricket pitches, establishment of a cultural centre, training and vocational centre, solar project, swimming and recreation pool among others.
Government has reiterated its commitment to upgrading Victoria Falls Town into a conference capital. The town hosts the Sadc Summit next month.
derick.khumalo