National

Four villagers escape death in car accident

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2022

BY BHEKIMPILO WEZA

Four villagers from the Chief Mvuthu area on the outskirts of Victoria Falls are lucky to be alive after a vehicle they were travelling in overturned when the driver lost control while overtaking a motorbike on Sunday.

The victims, three from Kachechete Village and a teacher from Chidobe Secondary School suffered minor injuries after their Toyota Noah overturned close to Chidobe Primary School.

The four were rushed to Victoria Falls Hospital for treatment where they were later discharged.

One of the survivors, Melusi Ndlovu, narrated their near-death experience in an interview with VicFallsLive.

“It happened so quickly, but what I observed was that the driver was trying to overtake the motorbike at a high speed,” Ndlovu said.

“Before the accident we had jokingly asked him if he wanted to kill us.

“Shortly afterwards he applied emergency brakes and we were thrown out of the car into the bush.

“The car landed on its roof, but we thank God we survived.”

According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the Toyota Noah was speeding.

“I saw it driving past at a high speed and in the blink of an eye l heard people screaming for help,” he said.

“The motorbike was moving at a fast speed as well and upon realising that he could not overtake it, he decided to move back to his lane and that’s when he swerved to the bush,” another witness added.

The three were going for a braai at Lupinyo Business Centre while the teacher was a passenger who asked for a lift.

Matabeleland North police said they had not received a report of the accident by Tuesday.

The wreckage of the car is said to have been taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department’s Victoria Falls depot.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

7 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.