Newly elected Victoria Falls councillors pledge service delivery

THREE newly-elected Victoria Falls councillors were sworn in on Tuesday during a Special Council Meeting held in the council boardroom.

Thindolie Sibanda (Ward 10), George Mhlanga (Ward 11), and Tapiwa Sibanda (Ward 9) took their oaths of office before Town Clerk Mr Ronnie Dube. The swearing-in follows the local authority by-elections held on 1 August 2026.

The newly elected councillors took the oath of loyalty and office before the Town Clerk as required by the Urban Councils Act.

Victoria Falls Mayor, Councillor Prince Thuso Moyo, officially welcomed the new members to the Council.

“Today we welcome Councillors Tapiwa K Sibanda, Thindolie Sibanda and George Mhlanga who were duly elected by residents of Wards 9, 10 and 11 to serve this Council,” he said.

“The oath you have taken binds you to serve with integrity, diligence and commitment to the people who entrusted you with the responsibility.”

Cllr Moyo urged the new councillors to work collaboratively.

“On behalf of the Council and the residents at large, I welcome you to the team and I congratulate you once again on your election. I urge you to work with us as one team to deliver quality services,” he said.

“Today we place our individual and political differences aside and work towards the development of our beautiful city. Once again I want to say: congratulations.”

The councillors, who were all elected on a Zanu-PF ticket, expressed their appreciation to both the residents and the ruling party.

They pledged to prioritise service delivery and work towards the advancement of Victoria Falls. They thanked the electorate for entrusting them with the responsibility to lead in their respective wards.

Speaking after his swearing-in, Ward 11 Councillor George Mhlanga committed to working closely with fellow councillors and council management to improve service delivery in his ward.

Ward 10 Councillor Thindolie Sibanda expressed gratitude to residents for entrusting him with leadership, while Ward 9 Councillor Tapiwa Sibanda pledged to represent all stakeholders in his ward and across the city.

In Ward 9, Tapiwa Kwendu Sibanda amassed 287 votes to defeat independent candidates Simbarashe Mathe (150 votes), Vusumuzi Sibanda (115) and Liberty Mudenda (22).

Ward 10 saw Thindolie Sibanda secure 291 votes against eight independent candidates, while Ward 11 witnessed George Mhlanga win with an emphatic 736 votes.

The by-elections were necessitated by the recall of the former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillors.

The new councillors vowed to address challenges affecting the city, including water supply and service delivery issues that have been a concern for residents.

They committed to working as a united team to advance the development of Victoria Falls, one of Zimbabwe’s premier tourist destinations.