National

By-elections: Disgruntled Khupe allies threaten to derail Mwonzora campaign

Published

3 years ago

January 17, 2022

BY GIBBS DUBE

MARYLAND — Some members of the opposition MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora say factionalism is worsening in the party ahead of the forthcoming council and parliamentary by-elections following claims of widespread rigging in primary elections.

Disgruntled MDC-T activists say several people who represented the party in the 2018 general elections have abandoned the Mwonzora faction alleging that he wants to dump vice president Thokozani Khupe before the by-elections and elective congress expected to be held sometime this year.

Khupe’s aide, Ntando Ndlovu, said, “There are many people who are abandoning the election process and have withdrawn from the primaries because they feel that Mzonwora wants to expel Khupe as he fears that he may lose the top leadership position to the former deputy prime minister.

Ndlovu said, “Those that are abandoning the primaries say they cannot be elected when Mwonzora and his colleagues want to recall her from parliament while giving Khupe a hard time everyday.

“There are several party structures that have been dismantled and this has resulted in some people abandoning the electoral process.
We are unhappy about what is going on.

“For example, the party structures were dismantled in Ascot when people chose their leadership but Mwonzora’s colleagues then decided to hand pick their own people to fill all the positions.

“In Bulawayo people are protesting that the 2014 structures have been dumped.”

Ndlovu said there are many regions where people are abandoning the party due to internal election rigging.

“It’s not in Bulawayo alone where five people withdrew as there are many people doing the same in different parts of the country.

“We know that in Daluka Ward in Lupane, the person who was supposed to be the candidate withdrew from the primaries and the same happened in the Midlands province and in Harare and Chitungwiza.”

He said all the people abandoning the electoral process are doing so in solidarity with Khupe, who is being given a torrid time by Mwonzora and his colleagues.

But Witness Dube, the MDC-T secretary for information and publicity, dismissed these allegations, noting that “all the people who withdrew were mere candidates and not people that have been nominated to represent the party in the forthcoming by-elections.”

Dube said, “It’s common to have people withdrawing from primary elections and so nothing is amiss about what these people are doing. – VOA

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 months 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

4 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

5 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.