National

Hwange facing shadow GBV pandemic, warns group

Published

3 years ago

November 25, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Victoria Falls based youth organisation has urged the government to pay attention to rising cases of violence against women and girls in Matabeleland North’s Hwange district, which it says have been on the rise since the advent of Covid-19.

Youth Invest (YI) made the call on Thursday as the world marked the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) running from November 25 to December 10.

“Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, violence against women and girls was among the most prevalent violations in the country, including in Hwange district,” YI said in a statement.

“The public health Covid-19 prevention and containment measures introduced by the government saw men and women spending more time at home due to closure of tourism businesses and this led to an upsurge of physical, economic and emotional violence against women and girls – the shadow pandemic

“In Hwange District, the shadow pandemic has been manifesting itself through girl-child neglect, physical and sexual assault. The cases have been fluctuating between 40% and 80%”.

According to a recent YI random research conducted among women, rights violations such as physical, sexual and verbal abuse as well as economic deprivation are prevalent in the district.

On a data scale of 0 to 10, the research highlighted that there was an average of four cases of neglect, eight cases of assault, nine cases of rape and nine cases of physical abuse that were reported by the participants at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

YI said women and girls were usually disproportionately affected during humanitarian situations, hence the need to prioritise the rights and needs of women and girls in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“YI, therefore, urges the government of Zimbabwe to invest in pandemic preparedness through providing clear socio-economic support for women and families in Victoria Falls and Hwange,” the organisation said.

“Such an economic litigation measure will see poverty reduction, improved maternal and child outcomes, as well as, reduction of intimate partner violence”.

YI also called on the government to respect its obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which provide for the protection of women and girls.

The organisation stressed the importance of supporting survivors of GBV in their recovery and the full attainment of their rights as espoused in the country’s constitution.

“As we work towards investing in pandemic preparedness, there is a need for the government of Zimbabwe to employ a multi-stakeholder approach to address the underlying drivers of violence- harmful norms and practices cannot be understated,” it said.

“A gender-sensitive approach in emergency preparedness is crucial in ensuring that no one is left behind in combating GBV and the spread of Covid-19.”

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month 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

4 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.