GOVERNMENT says it will look into the controversy surrounding the proposed
construction of Legacy Hotels in Livingstone.
Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe said government will not allow competing interests to sabotage other developers.
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya in Kazungula today.
Mr Munkombwe said it was worrying to note that earlier developers in the tourist capital are making it difficult for others to invest.
”Government will not allow competing interests to sabotage others that will come up. It is a source of worry to us that those who came early into the tourism fraternity are trying to frustrate new ones,” he said.
Mr Munkombwe said it was only fair that the National Heritage and Conservation Commission (NHCC) and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) realise that the more hotels are built, the better for the economy of Livingstone and the country as a whole.
He said he would liaise with the relevant ministries on the need for expansion and to create more hotel bed capacity before the 2010 world cup to be hosted by South Africa.
Speaking earlier, Chief Mukuni said Livingstone required more hotels to be built before the 2010 world cup.
Senior Chief Mukuni said the construction of Legacy Hotels in Livingstone would help boost the country’s economy.
The traditional leader said it is important for government to intervene in the matter because the hotel was still awaiting policy direction from the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA).
Chief Mukuni wondered why David Livingstone hotel has been allowed to be constructed a hotel in the same locality while Legacy has been stopped.
Well this anti-competitive spirit should not be allowed in Zambia to protect a few wealth guys. Lack of competition is what keeps inflation rising. Today the South African economy is suffering from massive inflation pressure and raise in interest rates are failing to break the inflation trend because the economy is concentrated in the hands of a few and it is less competitive and they just raise prices and will. Can you imagine, only one company offers pay TV and they raise prices whenever they want. This should not be allowed in Zed build more hotels to keep the prices down so the locals can afford too. Smart point Chief Mukuni
Chief Mukuni sir well done tell this dumb government of ours to develop the city of Livingstone. It is really embarrassing to come there and find that there is no cinema and most professionals are from Zimbabwe. please do something. The city is also very dirty.
I agree with ZAWA and NHCC that new developments must take into account the environment and important heritage sites. There is ample land along the Zambezi but outside the park or even slightly away from it that would make a perfect spot for additional hotel development. Insisting on indicriminate encroaching of the mosi o tunya national park for the building of new infrastructure does not sound reasonable to me. Across the boarder in Zimbabwe’s vic falls town only elephant hills really has a river front worth talking about while the rest of the hotels are in-land, why cant the prospective developers in Zambia build at alternative locations?
Before you talk about hotels and whatever else. The road to Livingstone from Zimba is a shame. I dont think those holes cannot be classified as potholes but “BATHTUBS”. The road first the rest will follow.
#2when have been to livingstone,you cant say stone is dirty,thats a lie,its one of the cleanest so far in zed despite of the zim people trying to congest it.
Better to biuld only one or two more first class hotels like The Zambezi Sun instead of dotting this small city with numerous faulty towers!
It’s not just the question of proposing. It’s more on the implementation side. These chaps calling themselves policians will promise anything and do nothing.
I think it’s high time we started physically punishing them for their empty childish lies. Look behind and see what we’ve been through; Construction of Hotels is today’s story, costruction of the so called Ultra Modern Stadia was just Yesterday’s story. Our very own Independence stadium is another cousin to the pulled down Dag stadium.
“GOVERNMENT says it will look into the …”: ma rubbish!!!
I agree with #4. Not only Zimba road but the road within Livingtone itself. I agree with #2 and differ with 5. Livingstone is dirty without drainage system. it was filthy during rain season. Go and visit other tourist places in Mombasa and in Southe Africa even Vic Falls town accros and you will understand what competition there is. The world has become competitive and we have to keep pace.
I am appealing to powers that be not to spoil L/stone. Carefully, structure Stone and let investor put up their hotels even 10km away from each other. They can’t all be bunched in 1 small place-Stone is a big city and vast area. Building hotels very much away from the vic falls can generate even more jobs through need for commuter transport (even taxis). It will be necessary to construct new and proper roads. What takes people to a given place is the amenities provided-cinemas, shopping, leisure, parks, sports. Blue Water in the UK has generated thousands of jobs cos of its faraway location. Mind you it was just constructed in a land fill but its a magnet to all and sundry. N clean Stone,pls
Mukombwe and Chief Mukuni do not know anything about the environmnet. Let the experts say what will damage the environment and what will not. That is the problem in Zambia everybody is an expert in everything. No wonder things are so messed up. Surely what does Mukombwe understand by the environmnet. He was appointed Minister just to rescue him from poverty and nothing else.
For a change, I agree with the old Tonga buru, this whole saga has nothing to do with the environment. It’s thhe Sun International chain and their chola boy HH who are just trying to maintain their monopoly by preventing other hotel chains from establishing a presence in Livingstone. With Zimbabwe slowly unlocking itself from Mugabe claws, time is now for Livingstone to establish an unasailable lead! Being the area MP, I wonder what Saki has to say about this?
We know,some pipo who are going to benefit from this prospective investors! Much of we appreciate,development which we need very much under what! We must take into account enviromental justice!furthermore,L/stone been the tourist capital our gvt should priotise dvlpmtant and empowering the local to benefit from the revenue this small city brings! ZRA makes a huge amount of revenue through duty and others taxs at our boarders! atleast 10% be ploughed back to the local communities towards dvlpmt. But what we see is all money collected is channeled to Lusaka for our man to travel abroad and not even a coin is given to the L-stone pipo!The boarder makes apprx. 30 billion kwacha per month or more
#12 Ernest Mukelebai good point taken i entirely agree with you..Am 110% your view.
#12 Does the govt care about the local pipo? The ans is a big no.I for one I cant see this govt helping locals for Zambia’s prosperity.In Kenya as a foreigner you cant buy land along the beaches of Indian ocean but here a decent Zambian will be denied a plot to build a house in favour of our brothers/sr
from other countries and this is the way the govt wants. Demolishing or repossesing land frm zambians and sell it to non zambians.I’m not anti-zambians.Corruption will continue as long as empowernment of the locals is not part of the govt.Chief mukuni may be right but in the essence of tourism, the environment and heritage are paramount to attract tourist in Lstone. Zambia is blessed with
Contd: abundance of natural resources but if not carefull we will destroy the beauty of our country in favour of short term busineses that will never benefit locals or our children who many ask why did we do this? Brothers/sisters let us preserve our heritage.Hotels shouldnt be extended to the Falls at the natural heritage will be gone.
It all goes back to poor planning of our Zambian cities,its high time the Livingstone city council in consultation with all the concerned parties eg ZAWA,NHCC, etc came up with a plan of how the city of Livingstone should look like.if there was a plan the only thing investors or anybody is buy land and develop it according to the demands of the city plan.Today people in Livinstone can differetiate between a residential or commercial plot(area).If we had a city plan there wouldnt be questions of who came earlier or late.
#16 Choma 1
I totally agree with you.
The tourists comes to lstone to see our natural resourses which includes vic falls & wild animals in our local park if we displace them coz of our selfish interests these animals will flee to botswana and we wont have wildlife tourist attraction. Chief Mukuni you guys is really benefiting from those local hotels i think he is one of the riches traditional rulers in zambia, when you hear him cryout just know there is a loophole, he gets more money from sunhotel that some people even claim he is a shareholder(wake up zed)selfish rulers are bad, what abt our children they wont even know the real elephant or other spicies.He is jst marrying & devorcing everytime. Bcareful women you’ll be chewed.
Guys we are missing the point here.The issue here is uncompetitive behaviour from the big bullies like “Sun International”.They do not want other hotels in the proximity of the falls and park, while they are situated there. ZAWA and the like already made a mistake by giving these big guys rights to falls and park.However, its too late to correct it, but to move in the right direction by town planning L/Stone.This means allocate more land to other hotels but make them preserve the environment.In their plans, conservation steps should be the slling point on their proposal.I guess ZAWA was bought by Sun to restrict others …. These guys are selfish.More hotels = cpmpetitive prices + jobs.
The falls has been there since I dont know. why are they showing up now
We want as zedians to afford holidays in L/stone guys.That place at the moment is not for locals, and on a normal situation we should be the majority visiting. Hence, hotels that want to build should also indicate which pipo is their target.And should be the budget market meaning cheaper accomodation.L/Stone is pathic in terms of accomodation, only someone with dollars can afford.Lets have more cheaper hotels, but the environment should be catered for.
yes #18 women are like they are born from one mother, they like money to much that they always dig their own graves, a man can be visibly emaciated but they give in coz they follow riches, you are a weaker sex and you transimite the virus, learn to say no sometimes,if a man wants can chew the sisters(old & younger) when both knows it as long as you play your cards properly or marry them both, so the marrying and devorcing i put the blame on our women, for a man he is always looking for greener pastures esp from pointed breasts than ama tropicals.
Oh great, another Zambian conning other Zambians. Whats the point, we both know after Morgan Tsvangarai of Zimbabwe is sworn in they’ll be no more bids for land and space in livingstone. It’ll be livingstone 1995 all over again. We are talking bad raods, no tourists, poor infrastructure as lots and lots of tourists go to the New Zimbabwe and more and more companies flock to the New Zimbabwe bringing our Southern Neighbor more and more glory while we watch from our borders there success as we continue on an endless journey of poverty and backwardness so whats the point. FACT, Zimbabwe will succeed, companies will relocate, Zambia will be worst off (more than before). Just give up on Zambia.
Zambia is an interesting country. It has included potholes to be part of tourism. If this was not so the govt would have worked hard to make Livingstone infrustructure beautiful. Apart from that Livingstone does not have variety in its tourism attraction. After watching the fall,boat cruise,game drive… there is little else to offer apart from people drinking in Masaka so that the HIV and AIDS prevelence continues. Fellow patriots we need to have a sense of shame when we perform below par or when we fail to provide the needed services. Should we honestly be saying South Africa is developed and fail to develop our own. Imagine our system has even failed to provide for a public swimming pools
Imagine if you watch some foreign TV they give a picture that the victoria Fall is in Zimbabwe. The only sad thing about this is that our GRZ has kept quiet and pretended that they do not know of such propaganda. When will we have leaders that will fight for the interest of their country. please Chief Mukuni continue to speak for the development of our country. We need world class infrustructure
World Class infrastructure starts with education. Mwanawasa has vomited on our education system for too long. He must improve our institutions so that we become a better nation in future since the past results are this sickening as seen from mmd’s performance
THE ROADS ARE A TOURIST ATTRACTION IN LIV.CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL THIS GOVT THAT WE NEED BETTER ROADS.MUNKOMBWE IS TOO OLD TO SEE
We need at least 5 or more 5* hotels oin Livinstone. Too many dirty guest houses. Someone just wakes up one day and says they will open a guest house with no plan.
Also these other hotels like the Zambezi Sun exploit us. Instead of us the owners of the land paying good rates, you find that someone coming in from South Africa will be pay chaeaper rates than us owners of the land. Lets wake up pipo. Its us to get the cream of the cake
I did not know zambians can be so persimistic about their own country when the rest of the world seems to be hailing it. So i guess you zambians living abroad know more on zambia than people actually living there???…. personally i have visited livingstone first in 1992 and then last year. This place has changed remarkably!!! i was very impresed…now, am not saying everything is right…but it will get better just let investment come in. Dubai was not built in a day!!!!
imwe bangwele tetimubelengefye ukwabula ukushapo comment??
If you are the brain baskets in Zambia then go and work 4 GRZ!!!!
The best time to improve Southern Province as whole through Agriculture and tourism is now.Having been raised in Livingstone I can tell how Zimbabwe benefited from tourism and agricuture because of poor infrasture in Zambia.The Goverment should come up with deliberate programms to beautify that place.I get surprised when Ministers tell us how beautiful Nairobi or Mombasa are.We are again making the same mistakes of relying on copper,Everyday they are openning new mines but things are not changing.As of today South Africa benefits more from the Vic falls than Livingstne due to better infrasture and deliberte programms
Yes, new road networks for Livingstone, new developments, shop complexes, new market, new museum, new public toilets, new hotels and a new stadium.
overzealous guards were almost refusing me to get into the Zambezi sun!!! i have to shout at them….the place is considered a Bazungu place….. ati no ba ndala enda ni mu ka tenge vistors card , how stupid….
Ndife.. BOB MUGABE is residing at Zambezi Sun watching events unfold in ZIM, Dont you see increased security there since ZIM election.
Rightly said guys, cinemas, restaurants, better roads, a better airport not that upgraded air strip we have, govt offices for info centres, develop the maramba cultural village for display to our tourists, etc, etc. Well, I’m allowed to dream this is Zambia we are talking about.Visit zambia campaign pipo rush to europe to exibit, insteading of aggressive marketing the place there in L/Stone on TV, Magazines, etc, etc buy advertising space in europe.
How far or soon is 2010?
#33 the white, light skin, the bazungus are highly respected in zambia. If you are driving following a muzungus car the police pa zed will let the muzungu pass without a pause but they’ll stop you and charge you for no offence until you bosha them a ka 10pin, thats how we are black’s the colonial mentality will never go— yes bwana yes bwana to a muzungu. But them a black man is a criminal,not trustworthy,full of infectious diseases including HIV, not educated just to mention a few lebelled names,so it’s for you guys out there to prove that some of you are inocent.
#29 shame on you…you cannot say that Livingstone has changed remarkably!!! and you are very impresed, the fact that you agree there is a problem we need to face it. Livingstone and to be specific the vic falls is our pride in Africa. Zim talks about it all the time though they do not even have a Km of it. they posses 0.453something Km but have developed their areas of interest. Visit other African tourist sites then you will see what we are trying to communicate
# 16 you are right. Town planning, town planning, town planning!!
Give more space to american,europeans and people from dubai to develop Livingstone please,and GRZ should please work on the road net work.Lets take advantage of the confusion ni Zimbabwe,2010 is around the corner,people will come down south but they will also want to see the vic fall.we should pull a quick one.
37 & 35 Thats in Zed especially in Livingstone…i was shocked when i get into Inters or Pamozi am never ever stopped by anyone. I was shocked that this so called zambian Guard with my own skin now wants to worship the muzungu when i was just visiting Livingstone. In Nairobi hotel rates for locals is cheaper than that of tourists, govt workers actually get the cheapeast hotel rates. But when i was in livingstone pa Chrismar the chaps were asking for $180 per night. Can u imagine!!!!! how can we the locals enjy what is in our country????
So with the new Hotels i dont know ,it may end up being like in Zanzibar where Hotel Kempisky was charging $260 for a single!!! I know the Zambezi sun is abit cheaper but how many of us really would book for a week in such expensive places???
Ka Mukuni is cashing in on all projects in Livingstone even when he is not solely the chief of L’stone. But why locate it in the park? We all know location is very important but keep away from my park.
I agree with you 29,infact I was in stone last year it has improved remarkably,it just depends with your measure and perceptibility,if you travel along mosi u tunya road you see alot of infrastructures being realised,its moer beautiful than ever,to those that appreciate scenic beauty,best place so far pa zed.
Yes # 16 U are right. Country planning!!!!twapapata. Even in Solwezi Country planning!!!!that`s why Lusaka is now choked country planning!!! and keep the future of the coming generations in mind please!!!!!
And nasty-looking Kapiri Mposhi, town planning, town planning please twapapata!