National

Hwange villagers bemoan lack of development

Published

3 years ago

October 30, 2022

BY ISAAC NTULI

Hwange villagers have bemoaned the lack of infrastructure development in their areas despite the district contributing significantly to the national fiscus through the tourism and mining industry.

The villagers from Katchetcheti ward three expressed their disquiet about the government neglect during a 2023 budget consultative meeting organised by the Hwange Rural District Council

Council officials had informed the villagers that the local authority failed implement capital projects this year because of lack of funds.

For 2022, the local authority said it had been promised $282 million by central government which was meant to improve service delivery in the rural areas, but only received a third of the allocation.

A villager Martin Ndlovu said the poor revenue inflows into the districts did not match the outflows from the mining, wildlife and tourism industries.

“We also want to benefit from these resources as we are the custodians,” Ndlovu said.

“It is disappointing that funds are not being ploughed back to the deserving communities.”

Another villager from BH08 said poverty levels in his community showed that the area was being neglected.

“It’s not pleasing to note that the grazing area for our cattle has been invaded by wild animals and even lions are killing most of our livestock and there is no compensation for that,” he said.

“Our children from BG36 and Bh34 walk to school for over three hours and have come in contact with these wild animals.

“This is very unsafe for them because there are no nearby schools.

“So this is why we have been asking for development that includes roads to make it safe for our children if schools cannot be built.”

Other villagers said council must consider drilling boreholes in the ward to address perennial water problems.

Some applauded the district council for soldiering on and fulfilling some of the 2022 budget promises that included the completion of Leona Clinic in Vukuzenzele,and the grading of the Bethesda -Matata Road.

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

3 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.