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Victoria Falls Reporters
VICTORIA Falls residents have engaged the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and council demanding a share from proceeds realised from the Victoria Falls Rainforest. It is the residents’ contention that locals should benefit from the resort facility in line with the country’s indigenisation and empowerment thrust under the community share ownership trust arrangement.

During a recent meeting between the wildlife authority and council, a resolution was passed advising residents and council to come up with a common position to be tabled before the government.

Parks and Wildlife area manager for Zambezi Camp, Edmore Ngosi, advised councillors to write a letter to the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri stating their request.

“Some communities are benefiting from the Community Share Ownership Scheme but why aren’t we benefiting as a community? Our resource is the Rainforest and we should as well be given an opportunity to enjoy the benefits from it,” said a resident during the meeting.

The Rainforest, which is one of the world’s seven wonders, is the major resource for Victoria Falls and surrounding areas.

There have also been concerns about high entrance fees into the Rainforest, which locals said they could hardly afford. They demanded exemption from paying such fees.

Locals pay $7 to access the Rainforest while regional and international tourists pay $20 and $30 respectively. Locals also want to benefit from projects such as water rafting, lion walks, elephant rides, bungee jumping, boat cruises, game drives among others, which cost more than $100 each. They want operators to contribute to a pool that can be used for community development.

The chairperson of the council housing committee, Councillor Edmore Zhou, said something needed to be done so that residents could benefit from activities happening on the Zambezi River.

“We want to benefit directly from the Zambezi River. The local authority should be given a share from the Rainforest, which can be used for developmental projects. Our wish is to see locals being allowed at least once or twice a year into the Rainforest free of charge,” he said.

“There are many people who’ve never been into the Rainforest because they can’t raise the required $7.” Residents have clashed with the wildlife authority before as they lose property to wild animals especially elephants while some people have also been killed without compensation.

Victoria Falls Residents Association chairman Morgan Dube said human-animal conflict can only be solved if people see value in wildlife. “There’s a perception that we live in a game park. That’s not correct and we should be considered neighbours to the national park. We’ve resolved to write a position paper where we’ll write a letter to the Parks and Wildlife for consideration of these issues,” he said.