National

In Zimbabwe no Covid-19 vaccination, no church services

Published

4 years ago

August 12, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe has re-opened churches only for fully vaccinated congregants as the country tries to push its Covid-19 vaccination rates amid vaccine hesitancy.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists on Wednesday that church goers now have to produce proof that they were vaccinated before they are allowed to join services.

“Cabinet wishes to inform the public that churches can now allow sit-in congregants under the following conditions: only congregants who have received two doses of the vaccine are allowed to attend,” Mutsvangwa said.

“(That) all Ministry of Health and Child Care and World Health Organisation protocols are adhered to, and (that) all those found in breach will be arrested, including the leaders of the churches.”

Some church leaders in Zimbabwe have been discouraging their followers from taking the Covid-19 vaccines, citing conspiracy theories.

One of the church leaders with a huge following, Emmanuel Makandiwa, was recently forced to retract his statements discrediting Covid-19 vaccines.

Makandiwa encouraged his followers to take the vaccines to save their lives.

Mutsvangwa said the national Covid-19 vaccination coverage now stood at 22.3 percent and 12.3 percent for the first and second doses, respectively.

“Vaccination in border towns, other hotspots and peoples’ markets is progressing as scheduled,” she said.

“The vaccination programme will be ramped up in provinces with low uptake such as Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces, and Chitungwiza where progress has been slow.”

Mutsvangwa said government had given the nod to private companies, hotels and other institutions to get vaccines from the Health and Child Care ministry for their staff.

“This is on the proviso that they seek authority from the Ministry for qualified persons to conduct the vaccination of their staff and or patrons,” she said.

“Special care should also be taken to ensure that standard equipment is used for vaccination. “

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

2 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.