The minefields planted by the Rhodesian Army at the height of the war of liberation of Zimbabwe had been designed to deter the nationalist movements based in neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique from crossing over to carry out armed insurgencies. Victoria Falls town engineer Glen Sibanda says the current eight hotels in the town, which accommodates more than one million annual visitors to the resort, are inadequate. As there is no more room for further expansion, the town is now facing a huge problem of squatting, resulting in a rise in diseases, crime and prostitution. The town has also run short of land to build cemeteries in the face of increasing deaths brought about by Aids, and the few roads are constantly congested with an ever-increasing number of vehicles. Town chairman Smile Bizwe says the fast-growing resort cannot expand anywhere, except in the direction of the minefields.
Wild animals tend to be more dangerous when injured by the mines.
The Zimbabwe National Army says although it has qualified personnel of more than 1000 people, it has inadequate, outdated and dilapidated mine-clearing and logistics equipment, some of it donated over 15 years ago. Engineering corps director Colonel Sibangumuzi Khumalo says the army needs more than Zimdollars 150 million to start a five-year project to rid the country of an estimated two million mines scattered in and around border areas. Government's annual allocation for the expensive exercise has been reduced from Zd3 million in the early 80's to a paltry Zd100000, resulting in the army managing to clear only 10 percent of the over 700km stretch of affected areas. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that 119 million active mines are scattered in 71 countries, requiring the equivalent of Zd363 billion to remove, in what experts say under current conditions would take more than 1100 years. Gen Jamerson says the US Government, which is already assisting Mozambique, Namibia and Rwanda, will soon review its policy towards helping more African countries to rid them of the death mines, adding that Zimbabwe is a favourable candidate.