Zanu PF vows to take control of Victoria Falls council

Zanu PF has declared its intention to take control of Victoria Falls City Council by securing the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions and chairmanships of council committees by the end of the year.

The party's Victoria Falls District Coordinating Committee chairman, Matthew Mleya, said Zanu PF now had six councillors in the 14-member council and was working to increase its influence over the resort city's leadership.

"By year-end, we are supposed to have our mayor from Zanu PF and our deputy mayor. And all our councillors should chair the committees," Mleya said.

He declared that the ruling party would not accept continued opposition control of the local authority, adding that Zanu PF intended to maintain its influence through 2030.

"Victoria Falls should be a Zanu PF-controlled city. And we are not begging. This is what we call serious business. We are not in a burial society. We are in serious politics," he said.

The remarks come amid mounting tensions at the council, marked by councillor recalls, by-elections and an attempt by Zanu PF councillors to remove Mayor Prince Thuso Moyo.

The party won all three contested municipal wards — Wards 9, 10 and 11 — in by-elections held on August 1, defeating independent candidates following the recall of former Citizens Coalition for Change councillors.

Mleya linked the party's ambitions to the recent electoral gains, saying Zanu PF now had the numbers needed to pursue control of the local authority.

However, Moyo warned against turning council affairs into a political battleground, saying the city's status as a major tourism destination made stability essential.

"The council is a legal institution. There is a process for electing mayors and committee chairpersons. The guy is calling for a war in the city of Victoria Falls, which is not something that we want," Moyo said.

"We are a peaceful city, a tourist resort town, and we don't want that," he added.

Moyo also accused Zanu PF councillors of mobilising people to demonstrate at council meetings, warning that tensions could escalate if the relevant authorities failed to intervene. He said Mleya was a councillor in the rural district council and stressed that political statements had to be consistent with the law.

The latest confrontation followed a motion by Ward 10 councillor Thindolie Sibanda, seconded by Ward 9 councillor Tapiwa Sibanda, seeking Moyo's removal over allegations of gross misconduct, incompetence and violations of the law.

Town clerk Ronnie Dube ruled the motion procedurally inadmissible, saying it had not been submitted within the required timeframe for inclusion on the council agenda.

The ruling triggered heated exchanges among councillors, while residents in the public gallery protested against the proposed removal.

Progressive Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association chairperson Misheck Munsaka said councillors should prioritise service delivery rather than political contests.

"Residents elected councillors to serve them. They should be fighting for good service delivery, not positioning themselves for political battles," Munsaka said.

Munsaka further alleged that broader political interests were behind the continuing turmoil, claiming there was a project to take control of the city, although he did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation.

The political tensions come as Victoria Falls faces mounting pressure on its infrastructure. The city accommodates large numbers of tourists each year, supporting hotels, lodges, restaurants and conference facilities, alongside surrounding communities.

City officials have acknowledged that ageing water and sewer systems, originally designed for a much smaller population, are struggling to meet growing demand.

The contest over council leadership has therefore raised concerns about whether political disputes could distract the local authority from addressing the resort city's service-delivery challenges.