National

Prince Dubeko Sibanda denied bail, remanded to Friday

Published

8 months ago

August 19, 2024

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Prince Dubeko Sibanda, a 51-year-old politician and member of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), appeared at the Harare Magistrate’s Court on Monday, charged with inciting public violence.

The magistrate ruled that his bail hearing will be heard on Friday at 11AM.

According to the state, Sibanda posted messages on WhatsApp groups, Twitter, and X handles, inciting people to shut down Harare in August.

Several witnesses are expected to testify that they received and responded to his messages.

Sibanda’s arrest is part of a broader crackdown on pro-democracy activists and opposition members, with at least over 100 people detained, according to Amnesty International.

In an interview, Vongai Tome, the CCC’s national incident reporting and welfare desk officer, said Sibanda was in good spirits and had not been tortured.

Sibanda’s case is one of several being heard at the Harare Magistrate’s Court, including those of other CCC members, such as CCC leaders, Jameson Timba and 77 others, who were remanded to Tuesday for trial continuation.

“We also had other cases going on at the Harare Magistrate’s Court, that is Hon Timba and the other 77 who were remanded to Tuesday, tomorrow at 9Am for trial continuation. We also have Hon Machingauta’s case which is actually in progress as we are speaking, and there is Munkuli from Kariba, who was at the court there where his charge is also similar, but we feel this is just a state weaponization.”

The situation has escalated since June, with security officials attacking activists and opposition party members, accusing them of trying to disrupt the just-ended SADC summit.

The CCC and human rights organizations continue to call for their release and an end to the persecution of opposition members in Zimbabwe.

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.