The Victoria Falls restaurant, operated by Shearwater, is again at the centre of controversy.
Clement Mukwasi, Public Relations Manager for Shearwater, confirmed that the restaurant was recently shut down by police and armed officers from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), which falls under Home Affairs. Mukwasi confirmed that officers arrived at the restaurant and disarmed the guards before confiscating property.
The property came under fire from environmentalists last year amid concerns over the effect a restaurant would have on the area’s status as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Shearwater has maintained that the restaurant forms part of an existing building and Unesco has since ruled that it was not in violation of any guidelines for World Heritage Sites.
Says Mukwasi: “I admit that there is an issue with the department of the National Museums and Monuments, which falls under the ministry of Home Affairs together with the police. It is an issue of money. The department also wants to make money from the place where we are operating. There is no other legitimate reason why we would be closed except for money issues.”
Presently the restaurant remains open and Mukwasi is optimistic about its future and relationships with other stakeholders: “Our negotiation teams are still working with the police and the future looks bright. Several conflict resolution methods are being implemented, which include negotiation, mediation and litigation. It’s really a blend of the three. I may not be able to give more details on the stage of the talks because that will be sub judice.”
Kundishora Chipunza, Chief Curator of the NMMZ was quoted in The Times as saying that all they wanted was to share control of the rainforest.
