Businessman donates solar pump to Chief Mvuthu villagers

Published

3 years ago

June 22, 2022

BY BHEKIMPILO WEZA

A local businessman has donated a solar pump to Kachecheti villagers near Victoria Falls to address perennial water shortages.

Philani Moyo from Jembe in the Chief Mvuthu area, who runs Shockwave Rafting company in Victoria Falls donated the solar pump that has been installed at ‘Borehole 37’.

Kachecheti village head Chansila Mpofu said the donation by Moyo was going to help villagers, who used to walk over five kilometers to fetch water.

“This is something that we never expected, but we were always dreaming about it as villagers would walk to nearby villages to search for water,” Mpofu said.

Other villagers said the solar powered borehole was an opportunity for them to start investing in agriculture.

“Such donations should be received with both hands, such that even in our homesteads, we need to start doing irrigation projects as a way to sustain our families,” said one of the villagers.

Borehole 37 is one of the four villages in Kachecheti, which has eight village heads.

Moyo said water shortages had impacted negatively on the village’s development.

“The water crisis has been going on for decades in my village and most of the time they are left behind in terms of development and l saw it fit to do what l have just done,” he said.

“This will go a long way in alleviating the water crisis in the village.”

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

4 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.