Tourism Minister Kabinga Pande said the proposed project, comprising two hotels, 450 villas and a golf course inside a national game park was likely to affect the ecological balance of the area if allowed to be implemented in full.
Pande said his government agreed with the decision of Zambia's Environmental Council, which only approved the construction of two hotels and rejected the rest of the project.
"It is therefore my sincere hope that the company will go back to the drawing board and review the master plan for the project in order to work within the approved areas," Pande said in a statement.
Legacy Holding of South Africa had appealed to the minister to reverse the decision of the environmental council and allow them to proceed with their project without any alteration to the plan.
Environmental groups launched a campaign against the project saying if allowed it would affect the animals living in the game park, which is situated on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana.
UNESCO had also threatened to remove the Victoria Falls from the list of world natural heritage if the project was allowed to proceed by the Zambian government.
The Victoria Falls, which is one of the seven wonders of the world, is shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe and it is one of the main tourists attraction site for both countries.
Sapa-AFP
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
