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Las Vegas, is the 28th-most populated city in the United States’ state of Nevada. Known for its glitz, glamour and casinos, Las Vegas bills itself as the entertainment capital of the world as everything and anything happens there, so the popular saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

The city anchors the Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area and is the largest city within the greater Mojave Desert. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife.

It is also one of the top three destinations in the United States for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry, claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world.

According to a 2004 study, Las Vegas has one of the highest divorce rates. Since divorce is easier in Nevada than most other states, many people come from across the country to fast track their parting of ways. Similarly, Nevada marriages are notoriously easy to get. Las Vegas has one of the highest marriage rates of US cities, with many licences issued to people from outside the area.

Describing Las Vegas in one of her pieces, freelance writer Nicole Rupersburg says “excitement is the marrow that runs through the neon bones of this city; it’s a thrill-junkie mecca . . . and gambling junkie, and sex junkie, and drug junkie . . . you see, after a few months, the cracks behind the carefully constructed facades of the casinos and the relentless marketing machine of the city begin revealing themselves.”

Being a well travelled politician to the US in his political party’s quest to ensure Zimbabwe is slapped with as many tough economic sanctions as possible, MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa could have had by accident or fate ended up in Las Vegas on one of those excursions hence his recent obsession with Sin City.

And, as young as he is, Las Vegas’ bright lights could have mesmerised him to the extent of wanting to build its replica back home turning Victoria Falls into a one-stop shop for gambling junkies, sex junkies, and drug junkies . . . should his party come to power.

Since his election as Member of Parliament for Kuwadzana East in 2003, Chamisa has said a lot of things mostly laughable depending on one’s sense of humour or whether people take him seriously or not.

His latest revelation that Victoria Falls should be like Las Vegas that if one turns left, they see a Chinese, if they turn right a British and so on, is quite insulting especially to the people of Kuwadzana East, a constituency he has represented and misrepresented since he was elected.

Residents say since his election Chamisa has been singing the same song – that of making a library located in Kuwadzana 4 functional yet in reality it has remained a white elephant.

Refuse goes uncollected for weeks (even months).

Residents feel the library now stands as a sad reminder of lies from aspiring candidates.

“The library was never functional at any point. Our former MP Learnmore Jongwe died and left the library unfinished. Some politicians came and put up windows and that was that.

“When Chamisa was elected MP he also promised us that he would make the library functional but nothing came out of it. It was just for us to vote for him. We are tired of politicians who always come and make promises to renovate and mobilise equipment for its operation,” said Kuwadzana 4 resident, Martin Murape, a father of three.

He said his first born child, now 15 years old, was a year old when Chamisa became MP.

“I hoped my son would use the library while still in primary school but this never materialised. He is now in Form 3 and chances that he will use it before writing ‘O’ Level exams are extremely slim. I hope the new MDC Alliance leader will finally deliver on his promise to open the library before he leaves,” he said.

He said what baffles him the most is what Chamisa has been saying since taking the reins of the MDC Alliance.

“This guy is funny. He should come down to earth, to say the least,” he said.

Other Kuwadzana residents said Chamisa is a day dreamer and his line of thinking, especially when it comes to projects, is a clear deception to Zimbabweans. They said Zimbabweans should not be fooled into taking what he says hook, line and sinker just like they did when they voted for him.

Roads are rendered impassable by massive potholes.

“Service delivery is at its worst and Chamisa has done little to make our voices heard. Instead, what we hear are his loud barks that do not turn into bites. He makes false promises and we are tired,” said another Kuwadzana resident, Mrs Rosemary Vambe.

She added: “He has done little to talk to his colleagues in the MDC-led council to provide basic services and talking about turning Victoria Falls into Las Vegas when he has failed to push for refuse collection in our constituency is a mockery.

“We do not remember the last time garbage was collected,” she complained.

Resident after resident spoke of poor service delivery, and how Chamisa promised things would improve once voted into office.

“We have overflowing bins on our doorsteps. Because of the rains, garbage is decomposing fast and producing a strong stench. The garbage is also attracting flies. A situation like this is never healthy especially for our children.

“We sometimes dump the garbage where there is already existing uncollected garbage. The council should make an initiative to collect rubbish as we live in fear of cholera and typhoid,” said Mrs Joice Maradzika of Kuwadzana 1.

Other residents said something as basic as tap water is non-existent in Kuwadzana 1 and residents say they are bemused by Mr Chamisa’s utterances.

“We depend on boreholes because council water is not reliable, when it comes it is dirty and not safe to drink. I wonder what our MP takes us for,” said Mrs Mary Matsika also from Kuwadzana 1.

In Chamisa’s constituency, potholes have turned into mini wells, from which residents are even tempted to draw water.

“We are used to the potholed roads. Some of the potholes are so deep we have to drive on the verges of the road. It is surprising to hear him talking about turning Victoria Falls into Las Vegas yet he failed to turn Kuwadzana East into a habitable place,” said Mr Calvin Chamba, a resident.

Another resident, Mrs Angeline Moyo – a vegetable vendor – said Chamisa promised them projects that never materialised.

“We take what he said about Victoria Falls with extreme caution. He failed to develop our areas in the 15 years he was MP. How then can he run a whole country when he could not bring tangible change in our constituency?” Mrs Moyo asked.

As Chamisa’s fantasy of turning Victoria Falls into Las Vegas keep his bubble afloat, Kuwadzana residents said it would soon burst as those he is lying to will soon see that he is a master of deception.