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By Calvin Manika
Residents in the resort city of Victoria Falls have expressed concerns on developmental projects around the city as preparations of the 2022 national budget are underway.
The burning issues were raised last week at budget consultations which were conducted across the city.
Speaking to Spiked Online Media, the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (VIFACORA) Secretary General Nguquko Tshili said consultations have begun in earnest with residents coming with the input.
“Now it’s consultations on expected projects raised by residents. Like the burning issue about the Mkhosana water reservoir. Mkhosana is pumping water direct from the treatment plant. Secondly, a section called BD46 has been surviving without sewer for 2 decades. Some houses survive on septic tanks while others use the bush,” said Tshili.
Tshili told this publication that, these issues have been a bone of contention every year during these budgets, an indication that the authorities are not fully addressing residents’ concerns.
“The council’s response is that, the gradient makes it difficult to put a sewer line because they would have to dig very deep to align with other sections. The trickiest one is water. Residents want water charges slashed because council promised affordable water if residents help advocate to move from ZINWA. Now council is pumping and the water is now very expensive than before and also considering the tourist town being affected by Covid 19 pandemic,” said Tshili.
When Victoria Falls became a city early this year, the water supply was transferred from ZINWA to the city council. However, the situation seems to be not improving in the resort city.
Many residents of Victoria Falls depend on tourism as a source of livelihood. With the advent of Covid 19 and successive lockdowns to curtail the spread of the disease, the tourism industry was affected resulting in incapacitation of the majority.
Residents hope that the budget if well allocated will turn around the challenges currently facing the city for their benefit.
Arnold Ncube, a resident in Chinotimba suburb who works as a guide at a local safari lodge said the most important issues must be on service delivery and stimulus package in the tourism sector.
“We need more money on service delivery. But, preferably the budget allocations must priotise outstanding issues we always raise to authorities. Now, about Tourism, the city has not yet come to its feet even three month after the lockdown measures were uplifted. The influx of tourists is at low. We need support in our industry to survive,” said Ncube.
Thsili added that,” It’s really a bad time of the year. Supplementary budget was done in May only to be approved last week when residents refused to go to the 2022 budget without the approved supplementary.”