National

7 South Africans in court over Elvis Nyathi’s brutal killing

Published

3 years ago

April 19, 2022

JOHANNESBURG – Seven South African men have appeared at a Johannesburg magistrates court on Tuesday afternoon in connection with the murder of Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi.

“We can confirm, as the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA], that a group of seven men appeared in court in relation to the murder of Elvis Nyathi,” NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane told News24 on Tuesday.

Nyathi was killed in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, on 7 April 2022, allegedly by a mob.

The men face charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and extortion.

Fourteen suspects were initially arrested. However, after prosecutors went through the contents of the docket, it was decided there was insufficient evidence against the other seven.

The seven accused will remain in custody until 22 April 2022 for them to acquire legal representation.

Meanwhile, Nyathi’s family at the weekend stopped short of blaming the government for his gruesome killing in South Africa, saying his death could have been avoided if he could afford a passport.

Nyathiwas buried at Bulawayo’s Umvutsha cemetery on Saturday.

Mphathisi Ndlovu, a family representative, told mourners at a service at the Brethren in Christ Church, Lobengula suburb that Nyathi did not deserve a cruel death over a passport.

“Elvis died because he had no passport,” Ndlovu said.

“Our passport is very expensive. Even those of us who are not in Zimbabwe cannot afford.

“If you want the cheap one, it takes too long or at times it fails to come out.”

Passport fees are set at US$100 and US$200 for an ordinary and emergency travelling document respectively.

“We appeal to the government to intervene on the issue, we know the economy is bad but we should not suffer,” Ndlovu said.

“How was Nyathi going to afford a passport with a gardener’s salary?”

Nyathi was given a state-assisted funeral.

Another family member Godknows Nyathi narrated how his brother was brutally killed.

“They were sleeping when they heard a group of people, who were asking for identity cards and passports.

“When they heard this they went to hide in fear of the mob because they had no passports,” Goodknows said.

“They went around the shacks until they found my brother and his wife.

“He ran away, but they found him.

“They attacked him with sharp objects and they took him back home as they suspected he was armed.

“However, they could not find anything at home.”

Goodknows added: “The wife managed to produce her passport…that is when they took him, dragged him into the street.

“His blood was all over the street and they burnt him alive and we had to wipe the blood in the streets.”

Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube said Nyathi’s death was a very painful experience for the entire country.

“The death of Nyathi was very painful, when we told (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa, he was speechless and failed to say anything,” Ncube said.

Nyathi was born on February 14, 1979 in Brunapeg.

He left behind four children and wife, Nomsa Tshuma.

Several government officials, leaders of political parties, chiefs and thousands of Bulawayo residents attended the funeral. – New24/The Standard

Related Topics:Elvis Nyathi Johannesburg

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National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 weeks 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

2 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.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.