National

Stay away from game meat, Zimparks warns after lions die of TB

Published

4 years ago

November 20, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe National Park and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) has warned people living around the Hwange National Park to stop buying game meat from unlicensed dealers after two lions at the game reserve succumbed to Tuberculosis (TB).

Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said there was a danger that other animals at the giant reserve have contracted TB and consuming their meat could expose people to the contagious disease.

“These two lions that tested positive for TB in Nehimbe prove to us that even human beings are not safe,” Farawo said.

“People should desist by all means from buying game meat because most of it would be poached and there is no abattoir testing that follows after that and for that reason this disease that we are investigating could be spread quickly to the people because by nature lions are carnivores and if they attack any animal, it means that they can easily infect them including those that feed on their killings (like birds and hyenas).”

Poaching at the national park in Matabeleland North remains rampant despite stiff penalties imposed by the courts.

Villagers around the park normally poach wild animals such as Kudu, Buffaloes and Impalas for domestic consumption and for selling to locals.

Conservationists say poaching for game meat is rife in the country due to increasing poverty levels.

Trevor Lane, Bhejane Trust director, said besides economic hardships, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had worsened wildlife poaching.

“Covid-19 has had a massive impact in the tourism industry across Africa, which is having devastating consequences as we are seeing an alarming surge in wildlife and fish poaching,” Lane wrote on Bhejane Trust’s Facebook page.

“We find mosquito nets and cheap filament nets being used illegally with an alarming number of small fish being taken out of the waters before they reach maturity reproductive size, and this is compromising our ecosystems.”

Meanwhile, Farawo said Zimparks was investigating how the two lions contracted TB, which was a first in the country.

The two female lions, estimated to be aged between 12 and 15, were spotted by rangers in the Nehimbe area during routine patrols looking frail.

A team of wildlife medical professionals that conducted tests on the lions established that they had TB.

He said the authority had roped in other conservation scientists to investigate the source of the disease before it spreads rapidly.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 months 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

4 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

5 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.