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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Government is courting some investors to partner it towards establishing a dedicated power line for Victoria Falls as a way of addressing recurrent power cuts affecting the tourism industry.

Victoria Falls Municipality water works uses electricity without backup power hence water availability is also dependent on presence of electricity as the local authority pumps directly from the treatment plant to the users as there are no reservoirs.

As a result, the town is without water for close to 20 hours daily, a situation that is threatening tourism.

Recently, load shedding escalated to 15 hours a day in the resort town leaving hotels and lodges to run on generators, with big hotels requiring not less than 2 000 litres of diesel a day.

Smaller lodges and ordinary residents cannot afford to run generators daily and are without power for most parts of the day.

Tourism players have approached Government on numerous occasions seeking special waiver from the national load shedding programme as power cuts are forcing hotels and tour operators’ offices to run on generators which pose significant overhead expenses.

The overhead expenses are then transferred to clients hence making the destination expensive.

To remain afloat, players in the industry have also suggested to Government to be allowed to pay electricity bills in foreign currency so that the power utility, Zesa can import power.

Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu on Thursday said plans are underway to establish solar energy in Victoria Falls.

“Recently we got concerns that there had been no electricity for two days on end. For us the issue of power and fuel in Victoria Falls is not for discussion. Together with the local authority we should come up with a long-term plan to remove Victoria Falls  from the national grid so it’s not affected by load shedding.

“We have a number of investors who want to put solar of about 10 to 20MW here. We haven’t met with council but we have discussed with the Ministry of Energy and Power Development because in critical towns like this, there is no way you can’t go green,” said Minister Ndlovu.

He was speaking during a tour of a new upmarket hotel, Mbano Manor Hotel in Victoria Falls.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority board member Mr Blessing Munyenyiwa said players in the industry had proposed to be allowed to pay for electricity in forex so that Zesa can be able to import power. 

He said Victoria Falls, unlike other towns, needs continuous power.

Representing the Hospitality Industry Association of Zimbabwe, Mr Farai Chimba said hotels were struggling to run on generators as he called for reduction of load shedding hours. — @ncubeleon