Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE City of Victoria Falls and South Africa’s Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality are finalising a transformative twinning arrangement aimed at driving economic growth, cultural exchange and shared development. The initiative is set to redefine cross-border co-operation between the two cities.
The partnership aligns with the broader Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative (TSDI) and seeks to unlock new opportunities in tourism, infrastructure and investment promotion for both regions.
This new collaboration builds upon an existing and successful twinning agreement between Ba-Phalaborwa and the Hwange Local Board, which has already seen the two authorities work together at various regional forums. Momentum towards the new agreement was evident this week as a six-member delegation from Ba-Phalaborwa, led by Mayor Councillor Merriam Malatje, conducted a return visit to Victoria Falls.
The visit, a reciprocal gesture following a trip by Victoria Falls officials to Limpopo last year, included a comprehensive tour of key projects managed by the local council — from water infrastructure and youth initiatives to a drug rehabilitation centre.
Speaking to Zimpapers shortly after the tour, an impressed Mayor Malatje highlighted the tangible benefits already emerging from the collaboration.
“This is a return visit. Victoria Falls visited the municipality of Ba-Phalaborwa last year, and now we are returning the visit. We are sharing experiences, checking on the best practices they are implementing in Victoria Falls. In fact, we are adopting some of their approaches, and we’ve seen many things that will help us change the situation in Ba-Phalaborwa because we’ve learnt a lot here,” she said.
Mayor Malatje was particularly struck by the city’s youth opportunities, safety and cleanliness.
“Just like Victoria Falls, we are also a tourist town. What we’ve heard from you, which makes us very proud, is that the city has very low crime rates. It is a very safe destination, and the cleanliness of this town is impressive,” she said.
The delegation noted the economic potential of the partnership, stating that it would serve as a magnet for investors.
“I believe this initiative will bear fruit in terms of boosting the economy. Once investors hear us talking about what is happening here in Zimbabwe, they will naturally want to come,” she added.
Echoing the sentiment of mutual benefit, Victoria Falls Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lungile Nyoni, reflected on the value of the existing exchange with Ba-Phalaborwa’s sister agreement in Hwange.
“I remember some time last year, we visited Ba-Phalaborwa for training. The significant thing we learnt — and will benefit from — is how they approach service delivery,” said Councillor Nyoni.
He acknowledged the need for contextual adaptation.
“This will improve our service delivery because we learnt a lot from what they are doing on site that we are not doing here, and also from what we are doing that they are not. We picked up many ideas, but the challenge is that most of their practices are based on mining, while we are a tourism town. So, some things are not easy to implement, but we will adopt what is feasible in terms of services,” he said.
This pragmatic approach — identifying transferable strategies while recognising unique economic drivers — is at the heart of the partnership’s potential success.
The impending Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to create a formal structure for sharing expertise in revenue collection, tourism management, infrastructure development and community projects, all under the unifying umbrella of the Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative.
Both local authorities have reaffirmed that this is far more than a ceremonial handshake. It is a strategic, practical and forward-looking alliance designed to leverage their unique strengths, attract investment and ultimately deliver tangible improvements to the lives of their citizens.
The engagement also promotes collaboration — not competition — and is key to unlocking the immense potential of the Trans-Limpopo region.
