National

Chamisa says inspired by HH, as Zim govt spin doctors take the heat

Published

4 years ago

August 16, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe’s mainstream opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is celebrating his Zambian ally Haikande Hichelema’s stunning election victory, describing the milestone as an inspiration.

Hichelema, a wealthy businessman popularly known as HH, beat President Edgar Lungu in the August 12 presidential elections, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on Monday.

Justice Esau Chulu, ECZ chairperson, declared Hichelema the winner in the early hours of Monday with official results showing the wealthy businessman securing 2 810 757 votes against Lungu’s 1 814 201 votes.

Only one constituency out of the 156 was yet to report after vote counting for the presidential and parliamentary elections took longer than expected due to a high turnout.

Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the 2018 presidential elections, said he had received a call from Hichelema after he was declared winner of the polls.

“I am so humbled and excited to have received a call and personally congratulated my brother and president elect HE Hichilema,” the MDC Alliance leader tweeted.

“Join me to congratulate the people of Zambia, who continue to inspire us all.

‘Our turn as Zimbabwe is coming. We won’t disappoint. God is faithful.”

Joseph Kalimbwe, a prominent member of Hichelema’s campaign team, said MDC Alliance was the only party in the region that supported their ‘struggle.’

“MDC Alliance, you have been true in supporting our struggle,” Kalimbwe said in response to the MDC Alliance’s congratulatory message to Hichelema’s United Party for National Development (UPND).

“Apart from friends and individuals within Africa, you are the only political party in the region, which supported us from the very start.

“We must never forget who was present from the very beginning. “We are thankful.”

MDC Alliance said UPND was its sister party and urged Zimbabwe’s institutions to follow Zambia’s example in forthcoming elections.

Nick Mangwana, the government spokesperson, congratulated Hichilema and UPND “on getting the mandate of the Zambian people.”

Mangwana went on to take a subtle dig on Chamisa by tweeting a picture of the MDC Alliance leader with Hichilema and South Africa’s Mmusi Maimane, which he captioned: “In the folklore of matrimonial unions, there is always that bridesmaid who is never destined to marry.

“She will be part of a number of bridal crews but for her the big day will never come.

“After each wedding the newly-weds stop communicating with certain singles.”

For Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba, a tweet about the same picture where he insinuated that the opposition leaders, including Hichilema, came back to haunt him.

Zimbabweans on Twitter took turns to point out that the outcome of the Zambian polls had left Charamba in an awkward position.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 week 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

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.