The Sunday News
Richard Muponde and Noble Ncube
STAKEHOLDERS in the tourism industry in Victoria Falls have called on the local authority to embrace a new technology of installing elephants control lights in the resort town to prevent the animals from posing danger after invading the town and residential areas.
Elephants have annually caused damage in the resort town and in June this year went on a rampage destroying tuck shops, precast walls, and vegetable gardens and emptying swimming pools to quench their thirst.
The town was built within a national park.
The elephants have a history of trampling residents to death in the suburbs and have become a constant threat to residents and tourists who visit the resort town.
However, stakeholders said the town must embrace a new system of fixing flashing lights on trees or poles about 25 metres apart which reportedly prevents elephants from crossing the invisible boundary between the lights.
The system has reportedly yielded good results in Kenya which had experienced elephants and lion problems in urban areas for years.
This system has been in place in the East African country for the past three years.
The lights do not stop elephants only but lions.
Employer Association for Safari and Tourism Operators, president Mr Clement Mukwasi said embracing the lights technology was prudent to wad off the elephants as they were not a threat to local residents only but to tourists as well.
“We are living in the technology era. Why would we want to be primitive and enclave the town with a fence when there is such modern technology which we can take advantage of. The local authority should research on the new technology and see if it is feasible to use here,” said Mr Mukwasi.
Victoria Falls Residents Association chairperson Mr Morgan Dube implored council to take up the technology as it had been proven useful in other countries.
“Absolutely we need the local authority to take up the technology and install it in the resort town because the problem of elephants is a threat to human life. Why should we be behind the rest of the world in terms of technology? If it was tried and worked in Kenya we should embrace it as well,” said Mr Dube.
He added: “The system doesn’t kill the elephants but only scares them away from the town and suburbs. Definitely the local authority should take up the idea. It has been tried and found working elsewhere we can’t dismiss it.”
Victoria Falls town clerk Mr Christopher Dube was upbeat about the idea which he said was friendly to residents compared to erecting fences which would appear as if they are being quarantined.
“That will be a good idea. All we want is to protect the people without putting them in what appears to be enclosures,” he said.
The light which are solar powered are nailed to trees and electricity poles.
Two years ago with the help of Kenyans, Zambia installed the lights at the boundary of Livingstone and the Mosi-oa-Tunya Park to stop elephants from moving into the town and farmland.
Meanwhile, hospitality services providers in Bulawayo have said although the sector like others, was being affected by the frequent load shedding, this has not generally affected business as they have put in place measures to ensure that visitors remain catered for.
The director of the Bulawayo-based School of Hospitality and Tourism, which owns St Patrick’s Hotel, Mr Innocent Nezungai said like all the sectors they have also been hit hard by power cuts as fuel costs persisted.
“Like the rest of the affected industries, we have an emergency power generator that turns on every time the power cuts. The load-shedding is disruptive to guests especially during big events. We, however, believe in efficiency in making best services for customers. We are obliged to maintain customer satisfaction in all circumstances,” he said.
Mr Nezungai said the onus was upon the hotel to provide the best service despite load-shedding.
Sizohlala lodge marketing manager Mr Basil Mutema said the institution adopted use of fuel powered generators a long time ago when the load-shedding was initially implemented.
“We have been ready since day one. Unfortunately we thought things would get better with the country’s electricity supplier,
“It’s not the same like using pre-paid electricity because we cannot spend $25 on electricity per day. As a result that is the challenge that we face. We make do with what we have to satisfy our customers,” he said.
“We don’t let the economic situation or any outside sources affect their stay with us. As long as it is in our power we serve them to the highest of standards at all possible times.
“There is nothing we can do about the load-shedding schedule, but will continue working as best as we can and don’t let the situation affect our guests. “The only thing is that fuel costs are high due to generator usage increase,” she said.
Mr Lameck Ncube of Granite Park Lodges business was progressing as usual in spite of the high cost associated with running a generator.
