Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

A Harare man who twice obtained meals from Chicken Inn after claiming that Zanu PF would settle the bill has been sentenced to 20 days in prison, although the sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he repays the fast-food outlet US$12. Niven Nyarugwe, aged 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of making off without […]

The post Zanu PF ‘driver’ who was caught with fake CIO IDs and arrested for treason now jailed for eating at Chicken Inn without paying first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Four mourners were killed in a head-on collision near Ingezi Township after leaving Rimuka Cemetery, where they had attended the burial of a local resident, Girly Mashiri. The victims were travelling in a Honda Fit when it collided with a Double Cab near a service station along the Harare-Bulawayo highway. The crash has left families […]

The post 4 people killed in Honda Fit head-on accident after attending another person’s burial at Rimuka Cemetery first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

‘DDF does not drown’: Survivors say warnings were ignored before Lake Kariba ferry disaster The Lake Kariba ferry disaster has left Zimbabwe facing a painful question: how did a vessel carrying far more people than its stated capacity continue into rough water after passengers say they repeatedly warned the captain that the journey had become […]

The post Captain’s Arrogance Led to Lake Kariba Horror: ‘My Boat Has Never Sunk Anyone,’ He Boasted Before Dying With 43 Others (VIDEO) first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Source: Rescue teams dispatched to Long Island as search for Kariba ferry disaster survivors continues -Newsday Zimbabwe

KARIBA, Aug. 12 (NewsDay Live) — Rescue teams were dispatched to Long Island early Wednesday as authorities intensified the search for people still missing after the Mbuyanehanda Ferry capsized on Lake Kariba a day earlier.

The deployment came as Kariba woke to mourning, with 13 bodies recovered by Tuesday evening and scores of survivors accounted for.

The Civil Protection Unit corrected an earlier figure of 15 bodies, saying 13 had been recovered.

A total of 64 passengers had been rescued, with 57 housed at the newly activated Mahombekombe Primary School Trauma Centre and seven admitted to Kariba District Hospital. Three of those admitted had since been discharged by Wednesday morning.

Unusual showers fell over Kariba overnight, adding to the sombre mood as friends and relatives gathered at the hospital mortuary to identify their loved ones.

A member of the rescue team, who requested anonymity, said teams were combing waters around Long Island and nearby channels, supported by divers and local authorities familiar with the lake.

“We will not leave any area unchecked,” he said. “The search continues today until we account for everyone.”

The exact number of people aboard the ferry remains unclear, with authorities still working to reconcile conflicting passenger figures.

The Mbuyanehanda Ferry, operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), capsized near Long Island on Tuesday afternoon while travelling from Kariba to Chalala Fishing Camp.

Officials have urged the public to rely only on verified updates from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and government authorities as the search and recovery operation continues.

The post Rescue teams dispatched to Long Island as search for Kariba ferry disaster survivors continues appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: My sister is missing Kariba MP -Newsday Zimbabwe

KARIBA, Aug. 12 (NewsDay Live) — Kariba MP Shine Gwangwava says his sister, Matilda Musemwa Gwangwava, a 42-year-old mother of three was among the missing persons after the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) ferry capsized on Lake Kariba on Tuesday.

Gwangwava said Matilda was travelling from Kariba town to Mola rural area to visit their parents when the ferry overturned near Long Island.

“She was coming from Kariba town and going to Mola rural. She wanted to visit our parents’ rural home,” Gwangwava told NewsDay on Wednesday morning.

Gwangwava said he last spoke to his sister three days before the disaster.

She was one of 21 children in their family — 13 girls and eight boys.

Gwangwava confirmed that 13 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday morning, correcting an earlier government figure of 15.

Rescue teams have so far pulled dozens of survivors from the water, although casualty figures remained fluid as authorities continued searching for missing passengers.

A Sub-Aqua Unit was airlifted to the scene to assist with the search, but strong winds in Kariba were affecting the rescue operations, he said.

“Currently there are stronger winds in Kariba and this may affect the search but we hope they will resume once it’s settled. It may take longer than expected since the winds determine if it is possible to continue searching,” a source in the resort town said.

The disaster has also prompted Gwangwava to call for urgent investment in transport infrastructure serving communities around Kariba.

He said residents travelling between Kariba town and rural areas under Chiefs Mola, Negande, Msampakaruma and Siakobvu had limited transport options, forcing many to rely on boats.

“We are urging our government to rehabilitate our Karoi-Bumi Hills road. By doing so many transport operators will ply the route and passengers will have options,” he said.

“Secondly, we need some other alternatives in well serviced boats with some tender boats to rescue people in case of emergency.”

According to the Ministry of Local Government, the ferry was carrying 114 adults, five crew members and an undisclosed number of children, despite having a stated capacity of 90 people.

Mashonaland West provincial director Cecilia Chitiyo has recommended that the accident be declared a State of Disaster.

The vessel, named Mbuya Nehanda, reportedly began operating in 1983.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has urged the public and media to refrain from publishing casualty figures until scene management is complete.

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