National

16 year-old Victoria Falls boy escapes jail for impregnating minor

Published

3 years ago

September 26, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 16-year-old Victoria Falls boy has been slapped with a five year suspended sentence for impregnating his 14 year-old lover.

The juvenile whose identity is being withheld for ethical reasons was convicted on his own plea of guilty on charges of having sexual intercourse with a minor when he appeared before magistrate Linda Dzvene,

Prosecutors had told the court that sometime in February, the boy met the 14-year-old girl and proposed love to her.

After she agreed to the proposal, the boy invited her to his home in Mkhosana township before taking her to his bedroom where they had consensual sex.

“The accused continued to have sexual intercourse with the complainant several times with her consent,” court records say.

“Sometime in April the complainant’s grandmother from the Jambezi area visited and noticed the complainant’s physical change and upon being interrogated, she revealed that she had been engaging in sexual intercourse with the accused who had impregnated her.”

Asked by the magistrate why he committed the offence, the boy said: “It was because she also wanted us to do it.”

Dzeve, however, said the fact that the girl got pregnant meant that her life had been ruined.

“(The) accused person has ruined the life of the 14 year old,” Dzeve said.

“She is unable to continue with her education and is faced with motherhood at a very early age.

“The complainant’s parents will have to shoulder the burden of taking care of the complainant, who is still a child and her child as well.”

In mitigation, Dzvene said the boy was also still a minor and the fact that the girl tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases lessened the weight of the offence.

“In the end I have postponed the passing of the sentence for the next five years on condition that the accused person does not within that period commit any offence of sexual nature.”

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

3 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.