National

Church builds clinic for Umguza villagers

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2023

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Medical services for villagers in Umguza district, in Matabeleland North, are often difficult to obtain due to the long distances required to travel for healthcare.

For many it is a 15 to 20 kilometre walk to the nearest healthcare centre, which can take all day — often requiring villagers to walk home at 10 or 11 o’clock at night.

Many times, during a healthcare emergency, there is no ambulance available.

Seeking for solutions, the Umguza Rural District Council reached out to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In response, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided US$297,000 from its humanitarian fund for the construction of a new health clinic.

Along with the clinic, a new mother’s shelter, staff housing and a solar-powered fresh water supply was also constructed.

The clinic will provide services for pregnant mothers, HIV treatments, immunizations for children under five, and medical service for the elderly.

To celebrate the opening of the clinic, hundreds of villagers attended the festivities which included speeches, a marching band, and a community dinner.

Elder Denelson Silva, the Second Counselor in the Africa South Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attended the handover ceremony.

Addressing the crowds, he proclaimed that “to love is to act”. He added, “Jesus Christ taught that we need to love each other” and that the main objective of the church’s humanitarian work is “to bless Heavenly Father’s children.”

Letwin Mkwebu, the Umguza district nursing officer, said, “this clinic has come when we really needed it”.

She went on to say that as a health practitioner when you see your community suffering and the solution is a great distance away, it pains you that you cannot serve, but with this new clinic she is now able to serve her community.

Also attending was Richard Moyo, minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution.

He expressed his gratitude for the new clinic and said “I applaud the community together with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the commendable work you have done here…

“[You] have achieved a great milestone in ensuring that the residents of ward 19 have access to health service close to where they stay”.

Isabell Nube from one of the nearby villages says that the news of a brand new clinic in close proximity is so welcome and unexpected that she is “still now living a dream”. – Church News

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

6 days 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.