Victoria Falls bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia is planned to be lit up with a multicolour light display for the next 15 years by Zimbabwean mobile operator Telecel.

Telecel, in a statement, says it is lighting up the Victoria Falls bridge as part of its contribution to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly being hosted by the two countries later this month.

The bridge illumination, which is said to cost Telecel about $100,000, has provision for up to 1,8 million colour options, says the company.

Telecel adds that its sponsorship of the bridge illumination is for 75,000 hours, which means the bridge illumination could continue for the next 15 years.

“The bridge not only links Zambia and Zimbabwe with one another but it is a shared structure jointly owned by the two countries,” Telecel Zimbabwe general manager Angeline Vere says in a statement.

“As such it can be seen as a symbol of the ties that bind the two countries together and of their joint hosting of the UNWTO general assembly.

“Moreover, since Telecel is paying for the illumination of the bridge for the next 15 years, it will be a lasting monument to the holding of this assembly and continue no doubt to delight visitors to the Victoria Falls,” Vere adds.

The project is also being brought about by partners such as SSLI and Philips Electronics.

Telecel further says it plans to ensure that its voice and data services are optimised for visitors to the Victoria Falls during the UNWTO conference.

The mobile operator has even opened an office in Victoria Falls, which will be officially commissioned before the official UNWTO general assembly programme starts.

Telecel’s move to unveil the Victoria Falls bridge lighting project, though, comes after uncertainty has existed regarding its future operations in Zimbabwe.

Earlier this year, Zimbabwe’s telecommunications watchdog refused to renew Telecel’s licence owing to an indigenisation dispute.

Telecel is 60% foreign owned, meaning that the company has not complied with Zimbabwe’s indigenisation policy that advises that foreign owned firms to cede their majority shares to black Zimbabweans.

Subsequently, Telecel’s temporary lack of a licence resulted in Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile operator Econet disconnecting from Telecel’s network.

However, earlier this month, Telecel’s mobile licence in the country was renewed following the company’s promise to the regulator that it plans to change its ownership structure.

Telecel, which says it has 2 million subscribers in Zimbabwe, is also set to pay $137.5 million for its renewed operating licence.