National

Hwange girl burnt by coal fire buried

Published

3 years ago

December 5, 2021

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The eight year-old Hwange girl, who died after she was burnt by underground coal fire last month, has been buried.

Alisha Sekina Muzwiti was buried on Friday at her family home in Makwandala village, three days after her tragic death.

Hwange Central Constituency spokesperson Thulani Moyo described Alisha’s funeral as a sombre affair.

“It was indeed a sombre atmosphere at Makwandala as Alisha was laid to rest,”Moyo said in a statement.

“May her precious soul rest in blissful peace. As the office of the MP we would like to express our most sincere sympathy and condolences to the entire Muzwiti family for their sad and irreplaceable loss”.

Alisha’s father Andy Muzwiti insists his daughter died due to negligence by the Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL), which he says should secured its coal dumpsites.

A number of residents have died, while some have been left nursing injuries after stepping on hot coal furnaces.

HCCL has rejected accusations that it caused Alisha’s death and those of other Hwange residents.

The company argues that the victims would have trespassed on prohibited areas like the Number. 3 dumpsite where Alisha was burnt while relieving herself.

Muzviti wants to take legal action against the company.

Meanwhile, Mpofu called for an urgent meeting to address the issue and how lives can be saved.

“The office of the MP would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its previous call to the Colliery company to convene an all stakeholders consultation meeting to discuss the way forward so as to avoid more such unnecessary accidents in the future,” he said.

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.