National

Rains destroy school, clinic and homesteads in Victoria Falls

Published

2 years ago

November 16, 2022

BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO

Heavy rains that fell on Monday left a trail of destruction in Kachechete ward, Hwange where a school, clinic, huts and roads were damaged.

The Ndlovu area was the worst affected as roofs at Ndlovu Secondary School classroom blocks were badly damaged according to Kachechete ward councilor for Hwange Rural District Council Givemeagain Moyo.

“Ndlovu Secondary School, Ndlovu Clinic and some buildings at the business center were damaged,”Moyo said.

“The damage at the school was extensive such that most buildings were left with no roof.”

Mvuthu village head Paulus Ntini said the whole community was left in shock.

“We are still in shock because Ndlovu Secondary School was the worst affected and most classrooms were left without a roof,”he said.

This has affected learning at the school as children lost even the stationery,”.

Four of the classroom blocks had their roofs completely blown away.

Teachers’ cottages were also badly damaged.

Ntini said some villagers also lost livestock in the village.

“Some of the villagers lost their cows due to heavy rains,” he revealed.

“We were told that about five cows drowned and were swept away by flooded streams. ”

He said the Monday night hailstorm also destroyed vegetation and uprooted trees.

A milling plant at Ndlovu business center was damaged and tonnes of mealie meal were soaked in rain.

The owner of the milling company, Martin Ndlovu said about 10 tonnes of mealie- meal was lost.

Villagers and local traditional leadership have appealed to the government and other well-wishers to help the school.

There were no reported cases of injuries on people.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

6 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.