National

Lupane man axed to death in his sleep by neighbour

Published

3 years ago

October 27, 2021

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Lupane man broke into a neighbour’s bedroom before axing him to death in his sleep without any provocation.

Matabeleland North police say the suspected killer, Gilbert Ndlovu (33), might be suffering from a mental illness.

Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda told VicFallsLive that Jerrot Sibanda (61) from Deka village was found dead in the early hours of October 21 by his son Bhekimpilo.

Bhekimpilo met the blood soaked Ndlovu outside Sibanda’s homestead after he had committed the heinous crime.

“On October 21 at around 6AM, the accused person who is suspect to have a mental illness went to the deceased’s homestead armed with an axe and forced himself into the bedroom hut where the victim was sleeping,” Banda said.

“The accused then struck the deceased twice on the head as he slept and sustained two deep cuts and after the gruesome act, he exited the room leaving the victim bleeding profusely.

“After walking about for 50 metres, the accused met Bhekimpilo (the son of the deceased), who noticed that the accused had blood stains on his clothes and was still armed with an axe.”

Banda said when Bhekimpilo tried to inquire why Ndlovu was armed with an axe and had blood stains on his clothes, the accused threatened to kill him.

“As Bhekimpilo ran away, he tracked the accused’s footprints which led to his father’s bedroom hut and when he got in, he found his father lying in a pool of blood and already deceased.”

Ndlovu was apprehended by neighbours, who handed him over to the Lupane police station.

Ndlovu has been charged with murder but is yet to appear in court.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 days 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

1 month 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.