National

Rural Tsholotsho clinics runout of Covid-19 vaccines

Published

4 years ago

August 19, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Some health centres in rural Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North have run out of Covid-19 vaccines, a situation that is forcing villagers to travel long distances to be vaccinated, a human rights organisation has said.

Heal Zimbabwe on Wednesday said feedback from its community peace clubs (CPCs) showed that wards 1,4,5 and 8 in Tsholotsho North had gone for several days without vaccines.

“Communities who are part of Heal Zimbabwe community peace clubs (CPCs) in Tsholotsho North have expressed concern over the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines at most clinics,” the organisation said in a statement.

“Participants noted that most clinics in wards 4, 8, 1 and 5 have run out of the vaccines and this has seen many people travelling to Tsholotsho centre where the vaccines are readily available.”

One of the ward eight participants said some villagers have not received their first doses, while some are still waiting for their second dose.

” Here in ward 8, most clinics have run out of the vaccines and most of us here are still waiting for the second dose,” the participant said.

” People are being forced to travel long distances to Tsholotsho centre where the vaccines are readily available.”

Heal Zimbabwe said participants also noted that the shortage was caused by a poor road infrastructure in some wards, which made it difficult to transport vaccines.

” More recently Ministry of Health (and Childcare) officials failed to access Ngamo clinic in ward 3 because of the poor road network,” another participant said.

“This delays distribution of vaccines to health centres located in some remote wards.”

The dialogue resolved that there was a need for the CPCs to continue raising awareness about Covid-19 and mobilising community members to get vaccinated.

The virtual meetings by Heal Zimbabwe are part of efforts to empower local communities to help safeguard against human rights abuse and build peaceful communities.

The organisation utilises various strategies to address conflicts in local communities with community dialogue being the main initiative for communities to discuss and collectively identify ways through which they can proffer solutions to problems in their communities.

The platforms also equip communities with relevant information on Covid-19, gender-based violence and human rights.

Such platforms also facilitate local level conversations on pertinent issues affecting communities as well as create socially cohesive communities.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 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.