National

Government steps in to feed starving school children amid climate change crisis

Published

10 months ago

July 12, 2024

By Nokuthaba Dlamini

Zimbabwe, a country ravaged by the El Niño-induced drought, has been grappling with severe food shortages, leaving millions of people, including school children, on the brink of starvation.

The El Niño phenomenon, a natural climate cycle, has caused widespread droughts in Southern Africa, resulting in crop failures, water scarcity, and livestock deaths. Zimbabwe, in particular, has been severely affected, with nine million people requiring urgent food aid.

Against this backdrop, the government has announced a feeding program for schools, aiming to provide at least one hot meal per day to students.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerayi Moyo, at the National Association of School Heads conference in Victoria Falls last week.

“We are happy to announce that in the next two weeks, we will receive a food consignment for all schools in Zimbabwe to feed our learners,” Moyo said.

The government has secured assistance from President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Ministry of Agriculture to release 900 tonnes of maize meal to schools nationwide. This initiative is part of Zimbabwe’s commitment to the School Meals Coalition, which aims to provide one meal per day to school children.

“Zimbabwe is a signatory to the School Meals Coalition, and we pledged to provide one meal per day. Now that we have the resources, let’s feed our children and fight the effects of drought,” Moyo emphasized.

The feeding program comes as a relief to many schools, where students have been struggling to concentrate due to hunger. With the drought showing no signs of abating, this initiative is a crucial step towards ensuring that Zimbabwe’s children receive the nutrition they need to learn and thrive.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 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.