/ 6 January 2003

Australian murdered at Victoria Falls

An Australian tourist has been stabbed to death in Zimbabwe’s prime tourist destination, the Victoria Falls, state radio reported on Sunday.

The Australian, whose name was not released, was attacked as he came out of the rain forest at the waterfall on Saturday, the radio quoted the police chief in Victoria Falls, Alexio Paradzai, as saying.

He was attacked with a sharp object several times and died on the spot. No arrests have been made and no motive for the murder established, the radio reported.

Victoria Falls is in north-western Zimbabwe. The attack at the spectacular waterfall, is likely to deal a further blow to Zimbabwe’s tourism industry, which has seen a sharp fall in the number of people visiting the country since a controversial land reform programme was implemented three years ago.

The latest murder comes just a few weeks after a US tourist was shot and killed at a police roadblock near the eastern border city of Mutare. – Sapa-AFP