National

Binga fisherman escaping elephant herd jumps into crocodile’s jaws

Published

3 years ago

September 30, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Binga fisherman was seriously injured after he was attacked by crocodile when he jumped into river while escaping from a herd of elephants that had encircled him.

Windas Sianene from Saba village is reportedly battling for his life at Mpilo Hospital following the vicious attack by the reptile at Mlibizi River.

Charles Muzamba, the councillor for Saba, said Sianene was fishing with colleagues when he suddenly realised that he had was surrounded by menacing elephants.

The fisherman jumped into the river, only to land on the jaws of a crocodile.

“It happened around 7AM when he was in the company of three other villagers whom he was fishing with,”Muzamba said.

“The witnesses told me that as they were doing the fishing, a herd of elephants approached from two sides and seeing that they were in danger, he decided to throw himself into the river intending to swim to the other side and that’s when the crocodile attacked him before he could swim out.”

Muzamba said Sianene was rescued by other fishing, who fought off the crocodile.

“They fought with the crocodile and he kept getting bruised and injured,” Muzamba said.

“He lost too much blood and he was injured with his left legs severely crushed.

“The area is known for human-wildlife conflict and people get trapped when elephants visit the area because on the other side there is a huge mountain, which is not easy to climb in an emergency and this is why he opted to seek refuge in the river.”

Sianene’s graphic pictures showing the extent of his injuries have been circulating on social media.

Muzamba said earlier this week, a Forestry Commission employee was attacked by a crocodile on the same river.

“That was even more critical and he was bruised all over his body by the crocodile as he was fishing.

“We haven’t received an update about his condition and we don’t know the hospital where he was taken to, but most of his body parts were crushed after the rescue.”

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda was not answering his mobile phone when efforts were made to get a comment on the two incidents.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month 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

3 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

4 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.