The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Local Government, Public Works and National Housing has recommended that the country’s tourism capital of Victoria Falls be accorded a city status by January next year.
This follows a fact finding visit in March on the state of service delivery to the resort town and other local authorities in Matabeleland North by legislators in the committee.
Victoria Falls in 2017 applied to the government for a city status but it is yet to have that request granted.
“The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works should ensure that Victoria Falls is accorded city status by January 2021 considering that the upgrade will improve in attracting tourists,” said Bindura-Shamva lawmaker, Bramwell Bushu, while presenting the report of the findings in Parliament recently.
“The council hopes that when granted the city status they will be able to compete with other cities in terms of attracting tourists. The chief executive officer of Victoria Falls explained that tourists search for cities when they want to go on holidays and not towns or municipalities, hence the need for the upgrade to city status.”
The committee reported that the Hwange Local Board also applied to the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for an upgrade in the status of their councils.
“Hwange Local Board believes that it is one of the biggest local boards with the largest wards but has remained a local board,” said Bushu.
“The committee learnt that over the years Hwange Local Board had been pushing for an upgrade either to a town or to a municipality.”
