National

Outrage as Victoria Falls school boy is killed by car

Published

2 years ago

October 19, 2022

BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO

A Victoria Falls pupil died after he was hit by a car as he was crossing a road near the Vehicle Inspection Department on Wednesday while walking home from school.

This publication witnessed the accident, which happened at around 12:45 and it took over 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive as the Victoria Falls District Hospital said it did not have an available ambulance.

The boy’s lifeless body lay on the roadside until the arrival of the Emergency Medical Rescue Ambulance Service (EMRAS) whose crew confirmed that he was already dead and police were later called to collect the body.

Eyewitnesses accused the driver of the Nissan Sunny car that hit the boy of speeding.

Dents on the car suggested that the boy was hit by the left side of the car.

“The car was moving at a very high speed and he hit him as he was attempting to cross the road from Chinotimba heading to Mkhosana,” one witness said.

“The car dragged him for about 20 meters and he was hit from the left side of his head, which caused severe bleeding.

“The boy could not be immediately assisted as the driver locked himself in the car while we were trying to call for an ambulance until signs of life disappeared. It was very traumatic.”

Frustrated residents expressed displeasure over how the accident was handled by the hospital officials who said they did not have necessary resources to rescue the boy.

Residents resorted to calling the privately owned EMRAS whose crew arrived within minutes even though there was little they could do to save the boy as he was already dead.

“(The hospital) told us that the ambulance was not available and we should try calling Chinotimba Clinic and that was the end,” one resident at the scene said.

“The hospital is only abouta kilometre away and that child could not be saved as he kept bleeding from the head and the scorching heat from the tarmac made it worse.

“They are under-resourced and this is disheartening because this is a tourist town where such resources should always be there in cases like these.”

A Hwange district ambulance only arrived as police were removing the body from the scene.

Fungisai Musinami, the Hwange district medical officer, said she was not aware of the accident when contacted for comment.

“I am not in the office today, but you can go and check at the outpatient (section) if the body was taken there,” Musinami said.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 day 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

1 month 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.