RULING Zanu PF party-linked gold baron Pedzisai “Scott” Sakupwanya has lost a spirited attempt to evict a leading tour operator from prime land in the resort town of Victoria Falls, after the local council this week voted down his controversial bid.

If the gold baron’s proposal had sailed through, it would have resulted in the eviction of giant tour operator Wild Horizons from the land, to which it holds the rights until 2029.

The award-winning tour operator — known for its exciting sunset cruises on the Zambezi River — has operated from the area for three decades, having become one of the country’s most recognised tourism industry players.

In February, Wild Horizons walked away with two important industry trophies at the inaugural Twalumba National Tourism Awards, which were organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.

The Zimbabwe Independent understands that BetterBrands, a firm controlled by Sakupwanya, had planned to construct a US$50 million luxury hotel after the eviction of Wild Horizons.

It is not clear how much Sakupwanya had offered for the land.

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But land prices in Zimbabwe’s prime resort city have rocketed since it was declared an international financial centre about a decade ago. In December 2020, it was also granted city status.

Sakupwanya, a flamboyant dealer who frequently courts public rebuke for flaunting bullion and wads of United States dollars on social media, has risen to become one of the country’s biggest gold market players.

He was allegedly unprocedurally given exclusive rights to the land, which is quoted in Victoria Falls council minutes as stand number 1392A.

Victoria Falls City Council did not flight a public notice to dispose of the commercial stand when moves to allocate it to the Zanu PF politician were made as required at law.

The Zimbabwe Independent can report that following a full council meeting this week, Victoria Falls town clerk Ronnie Dube was instructed to advise Wild Horizons that its lease would not be cancelled.

The council’s Health, Housing and Community Services committee chairperson Nkanyiso Sibindi told the Independent that councillors unanimously agreed to uphold the lease of Wild Horizons — which employs over 1 000 staff in the resort town.

“Regarding stand 1392A, which is under lease by Wild Horizons, we agreed as a committee chaired by the mayor that the town clerk should revoke the letter he wrote to Wild Horizons on December 30, giving Wild Horizons three months to vacate,” Sibindi told the Independent.

“He should revoke that letter and give them a new letter stating that they will be there until their lease expires. It also means they also have the right of first refusal to buy that piece of land if council decides to sell.”

A councillor who spoke to the Independent on condition of anonymity said the decision was unanimous.

“Council resolved that the town clerk writes a letter to withdraw the letter of relocation that was served to Wild Horizons on December 30. The decision was based on the understanding that the town clerk was not authorised by council to evict Wild Horizons. The essence of that resolution is that BetterBrands Jewellery’s application to buy that same commercial property is no longer valid. BetterBrands Jewellery has been advised that if they are still interested in building a hotel and wellness centre, they should look for another stand,” the source said.

On December 30 last year, Dube unilaterally directed Wild Horizons to vacate the land.

He said council had decided to repurpose the area.

His move subsequently triggered a fierce dispute between the local authority and Wild Horizons, which stood its ground.

Wild Horizons argued that it had the right of first refusal on any sell of the land, according to documents seen by the Independent.

In February, Victoria Falls City Council mayor Somvelo Dhlamini told this publication that the local authority was legally bound to respect its contract with Wild Horizons.

Two months ago, Dhlamini told the Independent that Dube had “acted unilaterally because he should have written the letter after council had met”.

“This is so because council has the final say,” Dhlamini said.

This week, Dhlamini did not respond to questions sent to him on WhatsApp seeking understanding on the impact of council’s resolution over stand number 1392A.

Questions posed to the Dube had also not been responded to at the time of going to print.

His mobile phone was not being answered.

The Independent wanted to understand whether Dube had written to Wild Horizons informing the tour operator that its contract with the city was still in force.

This publication also wanted to understand if the local authority had formally informed BetterBrands that its application had been turned down.

Wild Horizons chief executive officer Gary Archer also turned down a request for comment.

At the time of going to print, BetterBrands had not indicated how it plans to respond to the council decision.

Sakupwanya did not respond to questions on whether BetterBrands would seek an alternative piece of land.

This is not the first time that Dube has been accused of acting unilaterally in important matters relating to public assets.

Last year, he was accused by council of single-handedly giving Jackelberry Investments the green light to buy Chinotimba Brewery, which is owned by the local authority.

In another dispute relating to the disposal of Victoria Falls City Council assets, which is before the courts, the local authority is being sued by various stakeholders for granting permits to Adage Success Private Limited and Scanner Investments Private Limited to set up commercial interests at the heart of the Victoria Falls rain forest.

The property in question sits on over nine hectares and is believed to be worth millions of United States dollars. Wild Horizons operates a lucrative boat landing business known on the site.
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