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The conference centre will be built ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly (UNWTO) to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in Victoria Falls and Livingstone on the Zambian side in August next year.
Preparatory work for the successful hosting of the world tourism event is being led by the Victoria Falls Local Organising Committee, chaired by Alderman Nkosilathi Jiyane.
Ald Jiyane said construction work at the site was yet to begin despite having been slated for this month because the project’s contractor was yet get clearance from the Ministry of Public Works.
“Construction at the site has not yet started. I am told that the contractor is yet to get clearance from Government to start working on the project. Otherwise, the contractor is ready for the project,” he said.
He said a South African property developer called Chettels Investments had been given the tender for the project.
The decision to build the conference centre was made upon realising that initial plans to build a $300 million conventional centre whose construction requires at least 12 months before the tourism event had been adversely affected by financial challenges.
The conference centre requires six months to construct.
Contacted for comment Public Works Minister Joel Gabuza Gabuza denied claims by Ald Jiyane that Government had secured a contractor for the project.
“I am not aware of any contractor that has been given the tender to build the conference centre. They (Local Organising Committee) are not being honesty by saying my ministry is yet to clear the contractor because no company has signed a contract with us for that project,” he said.
Minister Gabuza said Chettels Investments had come up with expensive figures for the building materials, resulting in his ministry not engaging them for the project.
Ald Jiyane said he was not surprised by the minister’s sentiments.
“I am not even surprised when he says he is not aware of the contractor given the tender when everything has been done for the construction project to start.
“He (Minister Gabuza) has always been like that. If you ask him about anything on earth he seems not to know. Maybe, by end of the day he will be the one stalling that project. You can also contact his permanent secretary (Engineer George Mlilo) or the town clerk,” said Ald Jiyane.
Victoria Falls Town Council, he said, despite facing a shortage of land had given Government a piece of land for the establishment of a conference centre.
However, efforts to get a comment from Eng Mlilo were futile.
The Victoria Falls town clerk Mr Godfrey Maphosa said: “I am not the right person to comment on that issue because the mayor and the minister are politician and I am a civil servant. But all I can say at this stage is we have played our part by giving Government the land for the conference centre.”
Zimbabwe and Zambia last year won the bid to co-host the UNTWO General Assembly.
More than 3 000 delegates are expected at the world’s biggest tourism event.
In February, Government announced that it had secured more than $200 million for projects aimed a sprucing up Victoria Falls ahead of the world tourism event.
Some of the projects to spruce up the resort town are the upgrading of road infrastructure in the town and rehabilitation of the Victoria Falls International Airport.
Online Reporter