- Title: ZIMBABWE: BACKGROUND FEATURE - VICTORIA FALLS
- Date: 1st March 1997
- Summary: VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE (RECENT) 1. MIST RISING AS WATER THUNDERS OVER FALLS 2. VARIOUS OF WATER RUNNING OVER FALLS 3. JAPANESE TOURISTS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS 4. WORLD'S HIGHEST BUNGY JUMP FROM BRIDGE ACROSS FALLS 5. PEOPLE PLUNGING OFF BUNGY JUMP 6. BUILDING IN PROGRESS AT RESORT 7. FALLS 8. GODFREY MAPHOSA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, VICTORIA FALLS COUNCIL, SAYING THERE ARE SOME CORNERS OF THE FALLS THERE I THINK WHERE THE LOCALS USED TO GO AND PRAY TO THEIR GODS; PERHAPS FOR RAIN AND SO FORTH. YOU KNOW SUCH CULTURAL ACTIVITIES WHICH THEY CAN'T DO NOW, YOU KNOW. IF YOU WANT TO GO IN THERE AND YOU HAVE TO APPROACH NATIONAL PARKS, OF LATE YOU HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH EVEN IF YOU ARE A LOCAL, SO TRADITIONALISTS CAN'T EVEN GO THERE NOW AND THEY ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS. THEY CAN'T APPEASE THE SPIRITS. (ENGLISH) 9. HELICOPTERS AND LIGHT AIRCRAFT IN AIR 10. BOATS ON RIVE 11. WHITE-WATER RAFTING ON RIVER 12. MONKEY AND BIRDS IN FOREST 13. ALAN ROBERTS, SHEARWATER TOURS, SAYING ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERNS IS NOT TO DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE OPERATE CURRENTLY. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TURN THIS INTO A TORREMOLINOS OR A NIAGARA FALLS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I THINK FOR A COUNTRY LIKE ZIMBABWE DEVELOPMENT IS THE KEY ISSUE. I THINK DEVELOPMENT MUST BE ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE. (ENGLISH) 14. CARS DRIVING THROUGH TOWN 15. CRANES ON BUILDING SITES 16. MAPHOSA SAYING WE WANT TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT AND NATURALLY CREATE JOBS AND BOOST THE ECONOMY AND YET ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE THESE FEARS OF NOT WANTING TO, AS THEY PUT IT, KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, YOU CANNOT SAY 'STOP DEVELOPMENT' FULL STOP, SO WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE DEVELOPMENT IS DIRECTED, IS CONTROLLED (ENGLISH) 17. PEOPLE SHOPPING 18. AUSTRALIAN TOURIST SAYING FROM EXPERIENCE I'VE BEEN TO BALI SEVERAL TIMES, AND THAT HAS GONE FROM LOW-LEVEL COMMERCIALISM TO THROUGH THE ROOF, AND ITS DESTROYED IT. SO I THINK ITS ON THE EDGE NOW. ANY MORE AND IT WILL DESTROY IT (ENGLISH) 19. TOURIST SAYING IT HAS BECOME TOO MONEY ORIENTATED. A COUPLE OF TIMES I CAME HERE IN '71, '72 AND YOU DID NOT 20. CHILDREN PLAYING IN SHANTY TOWN ON EDGE OF RESORT 21. CARS ON DIRT ROAD LEADING TO SHANTY TOWN 22. SHELTERS IN SHANTY TOWN/ WOMAN BRUSHING DIRT AWAY 23. PEOPLE IN SHANTY TOWN 24. SHANTY TOWN RESIDENT SAYING WE DON'T GET ENOUGH WATER, ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T GET WATER, AND THE PROBLEM OF ACCOMODATION AND JOBS (ENGLISH) 25. SHANTY TOWN RESIDENT SAYING PEOPLE BUILD SHACKS AND I THINK THAT WILL RESULT IN DISEASES, CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. YOU GET MALARIA, DIAHORREA, MAYBE SOME OTHER DISEASES LIKE CHOLERA WILL COME UP (ENGLISH) 26. WIDE OF MIST RISING OVER FALLS 27. PEOPLE CROSSING FOOTBRIDGE AT FALLS 28. AIRCRAFT ABOVE FALLS 29. BOAT ON WATER 30. VARIOUS OF FALLS note NARRATION AT 10.00.04 TO 10. 05.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 16th March 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE
- City:
- Country: Zimbabwe
- Reuters ID: LVA3J0OXHPFAUFBFXH2SX7W4QJ01
- Story Text: INTRO: Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls are among the great natural wonders of the world. But the number of tourists arriving to take in the scenery is putting untold pressure on the environment. Reuters Television's Chris Bishop reports.
---------------------------------------------------------- THEY CALL IT MOSIO TUNYA - THE SMOKE THAT THUNDERS. VICTORIA FALLS ON THE ZIMBABWE-ZAMBIA BORDER. A WONDER OF THE WORLD AND ONE OF ZIMBABWE'S FINEST ASSETS, EARNING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF FOREIGN CURRENCY EACH YEAR. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD MAKE THEIR WAY HERE EACH YEAR.
15,000 OF THOSE LEAP OF WHAT'S CLAIMED TO BE THE HIGHEST BUNGY JUMP IN THE WORLD. BUT THIS GROWING POPULARITY HAS BEEN MATCHED BY EXPANSION THREATENING THE FUTURE OF THE RESORT AND DOMINATING THE LIVES OF THE ZIMBABWEANS THAT LIVE HERE.
---------------- CAPTION: GODFREY MAPHOSA, Chief Executive, Victoria Falls Council "THERE ARE SOME CORNERS OF THE FALLS THERE I THINK WHERE THE LOCALS USED TO GO AND PRAY TO THEIR GODS; PERHAPS FOR RAIN AND SO FORTH.
YOU KNOW SUCH CULTURAL ACTIVITIES WHICH THEY CAN'T DO NOW, YOU KNOW. IF YOU WANT TO GO IN THERE AND YOU HAVE TO APPROACH NATIONAL PARKS, OF LATE YOU HAVE TO PAY SO MUCH EVEN IF YOU ARE A LOCAL, SO TRADITIONALISTS CAN'T EVEN GO THERE NOW AND THEY ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS. THEY CAN'T APPEASE THE SPIRITS. (ENGLISH) -------------- THE SKIES BUZZ WITH SIGHTSEERS. ON THE RIVERS THERE IS ALMOST A NEED FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL. THE 20 TOUR OPERATORS IN VICTORIA FALLS COMPETE FOR A MARKET WHERE FORTUNES CAN BE MADE, BUT ARE MINDFUL OF THE STRAIN TOURISM IS PUTTING ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
----------------- CAPTION: ALAN ROBERTS, Shearwater Tours "ONE OF THE GREATEST CONCERNS IS NOT TO DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE OPERATE CURRENTLY. WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO TURN THIS INTO A TORREMOLINOS OR A NIAGARA FALLS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I THINK FOR A COUNTRY LIKE ZIMBABWE DEVELOPMENT IS THE KEY ISSUE. I THINK DEVELOPMENT MUST BE ALLOWED TO TAKE PLACE." (ENGLISH) ---------------- NEW BUILDING HAS ALL BUT STOPPED WHILE THE AUTHORITES PONDER A PLAN TO CONTROL GROWTH. THOUSANDS OF MONEYED INVESTORS FROM ACROSS AFRICA, AMERICA AND ASIA HAVE BEEN TOLD TO WAIT.
---------------- CAPTION: GODFREY MAPHOSA, Chief Executive, Victoria Falls Council "WE WANT TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT AND NATURALLY CREATE JOBS AND BOOST THE ECONOMY AND YET ON THE OTHER HAND WE HAVE THESE FEARS OF NOT WANTING TO, AS THEY PUT IT, KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAYS THE GOLDEN EGG. BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, YOU CANNOT SAY 'STOP DEVELOPMENT' FULL STOP, SO WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SURE DEVELOPMENT IS DIRECTED, IS CONTROLLED." (ENGLISH) ----------------- VICTORIA FALLS HAS DOUBLED ITS POPULATION TO 28,000 IN THE LAST 10 YEARS. IF IT GROWS AS FAST THROUGH WIDESPREAD INVESTMENT IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS IT'S THE ZIMBABWEANS WHO LIVE HERE WHO CLAIM THEY'RE LIKELY TO SUFFER MORE THAN MOST.
---------------- TOURIST VOX POPS: "FROM EXPERIENCE I'VE BEEN TO BALI SEVERAL TIMES, AND THAT HAS GONE FROM LOW-LEVEL COMMERCIALISM TO THROUGH THE ROOF, AND ITS DESTROYED IT. SO I THINK ITS ON THE EDGE NOW. ANY MORE AND IT WILL DESTROY IT (ENGLISH) "IT HAS BECOME TOO MONEY ORIENTATED. A COUPLE OF TIMES I CAME HERE IN '71, '72 AND YOU DID NOT PAY. IT WAS NICE (ENGLISH) ------------------- THIS IS THE TOWNSHIP ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF VICTORIA FALLS - A PLACE TOURISTS DON'T OFTEN SEE. ALREADY OVERCROWDING HAS MEANT SHANTY TOWNS BEING BUILT BY THE HOMELESS - AND WATER SHORTAGES.
-------------- RESIDENT VOX POPS: "WE DON'T GET ENOUGH WATER, ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T GET WATER, AND THE PROBLEM OF ACCOMODATION AND JOBS." (ENGLISH) "PEOPLE BUILD SHACKS AND I THINK THAT WILL RESULT IN DISEASES, CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. YOU GET MALARIA, DIAHORREA, MAYBE SOME OTHER DISEASES LIKE CHOLERA WILL COME UP."(ENGLISH) ------------------ HOMES FOR THE PEOPLE WILL BE HARD TO BUILD AS THE RESORT IS HEMMED IN BY PROTECTED PARKS AND FORESTRY LAND MAKING A FUTURE OF VICTORIA FALLS A COMPLICATED QUESTION FOR GOVERNMENT. ZIMBABWE NEEDS HARD CURRENCY INVESTORS, BUT CAN'T RISK LOSING THE CHARACTER OF THE PRIDE OF ITS TOURISM INDUSTRY.
LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF FLYING, AND EVEN THE NUMBER OF VISITORS, HAS BEEN SUGGESTED. WITH SO MANY INTEREST PARTIES, FROM THE AUTHORITIES TO THE TOURISTS, COMPROMISE IS LIKELY TO BE DIFFICULT.
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