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The San: Zimbabwe’s forgotten tribe living on the margins

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BY JEFFREY MOYO

Nyaliwe Mendisi has never known the door of a classroom.

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None of her 12 children went to school, and now the 81-year-old’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have had no basic education either.

Mendisi belongs to the San community, together with her unschooled grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Now stung with poverty, the only jobs her children and grandchildren have known are domestic employment in the villages of Tsholotsho, in Matabeleland North Province.

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Most of her grandsons and granddaughters are employed as cattle herders or tend other villagers’ fields.

“My whole generation in my family has never been to school. We have nothing of value that we own to enable children to attend school. We have no goats nor cattle that we can sell to raise school fees,” Mendisi told Anadolu Agency.

Also known as the Bushmen or Basarwa, the San, which is Mendisi’s tribe, were the first Bantu people to dwell in present-day Zimbabwe.

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Mired in poverty, many San people like Mendisi and her descendants, populate remote areas of this southern African nation, with others facing similar situations in other countries like Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.

In Zimbabwe, some of the apparently forgotten tribe lives in Plumtree in Matabeleland South Province.

Now, as the World commemorates International Day of the World’s Indigenous People annually on Aug. 9 by the UN, Zimbabwe’s Khoisans, like Mendisi, have nothing to celebrate amid mounting penury.

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“Food is even hard to get because this region always gets very low rainfall. We have no cattle nor donkeys that we can use for our farming,” she said.

But what worries many like Mendisi and her family is the lack of national identity cards, which means together with her descendants, they have contended with statelessness.

“Having no IDs or birth certificates has meant none of us gets the opportunity to go to school or even dream of having a bank account,” Mlungisi Mendisi (23), a grandson on the matriarch, told Anadolu Agency.

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Even decent shelter for the San tribe is something that they can only fathom in their imaginations, according to the younger Mendisi, who also said he has never had a bus ride or boarded a car.

With incessant droughts pounding Zimbabweans more often, the San have not been spared but getting food donations from the government has remained a mountain task for many like Mlungisi without identity documents.

“No ID no food from the government and some of us just have to starve. It has never been easy for many of us to get identity documents like birth certificates and national identity cards,” he said.

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Davy Ndlovu, programmes manager for Tsoro-O-Tso San, a development trust that fosters the rights of the San tribe, said the minority tribe has for centuries faced broad injustices, leading to poverty situations for generations.

“Since the San’s removal from their ancestral land to pave way for the establishment of the Hwange National Park in 1928, their lives as hunter-gatherers were disrupted.

“Today, they live lives of poverty in the outer edges of society and are struggling to adapt to a sedentary lifestyle,” Ndlovu told Anadolu Agency.

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To Ndlovu, like many minority groups in Zimbabwe, the Khoisan people are not strangers to segregation.

“Many minorities in Zimbabwe suffer discrimination and the situation is even worse for the San,” he said.

According to Tsoro-O-Tso San, there are approximately 2,500 San people living in Zimbabwe.

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Even as Ndlovu and his organization have tried to help many Khoisan to enroll in school, families like Mendisi’s have had no chance.

But organizations like Tsoro-O-Tso San headed by Ndlovu, have tried to extricate many of Khoisan descendants from poverty.

“When we started our project in 2010, few of the San children finished primary education. After numerous awareness campaigns on the importance of education, quite a number has gone up to form four, with others even finishing form six of their secondary education,” said Ndlovu.

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To Ndlovu, even as the Khoisan tribe remains downtrodden and apparently forgotten by authorities, there is something to smile about.

“For the first time ever, we have three Khoisan descendants attending university.

There is however little support from the government and this has left many San children uneducated,” said Ndlovu.

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Health-wise, Ndlovu said the Khoisan are faced with trouble as health facilities are still few and people are forced to travel long distances to seek medical attention.

Ndlovu said with many San people still stateless here, several, like Christopher Dube of Garia village in Tsholotsho, have recently battled to bury an undocumented relative who died in neighbouring South Africa, also without personal documents.

According to Ndlovu, the deceased is still unburied in South Africa due to a lack of proper documentation. – Anadolu Agency.

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National

Chidzivo, Waison take top honors at Vic Falls Marathon

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Blessing Waison and Fortunate Chidzivo took top honors at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon yesterday, as Zimbabwean long-distance runners excelled at Africa’s most prestigious road race.

Econet General Manager – Marketing, Mrs Tariro Muchena (left), and Finance Director, Mr Chengeto Moyo, present the winner’s prize to men’s marathon champion, Blessing Waison, at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, while Victoria Falls Mayor, Mr Prince Moyo, looks on

The event, which featured athletes from over 40 countries, saw Waison storm to victory in the men’s full marathon, clocking 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 16 seconds. He narrowly beat decorated Olympian Isaac Mpofu in a thrilling duel that brought thousands of spectators to their feet.

Godwin Katakura followed closely in third, completing an all-Zimbabwean podium sweep in the 42.2km race. The trio’s success came with bigger rewards this year, after Econet Wireless doubled the total prize purse to $50,000.

Waison walked away with $3,000, while Mpofu and Katakura earned $2,000 and $1,500, respectively.

In the women’s marathon, Chidzivo delivered a commanding performance, clocking 2 hours and 42 minutes to claim another major title in her illustrious career. Ethel Pangiso and Phillipa Dube completed the women’s podium in second and third place, respectively.

Rising star Wayne Kabondo turned heads in the men’s 21km half marathon, overcoming a formidable field to finish in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. Kabondo pocketed $1,500 for his efforts.

In the women’s 21km race, Caroline Mhandu crossed the line in 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 50 seconds, ahead of Miriam Sibanda and Melody Kaseke.

The marathon’s inclusive spirit was evident in the 18km Specially Abled Races, which saw uplifting performances across different categories. Godknows Hamadziripi claimed the men’s tricycle title, while Samson Muroyiwa won the handcycle event.

Among the women, Stella Jongwe triumphed in the handcycle race, and Ratidzo Tomu took first position in the tricycle category.

Organized by Econet Wireless in partnership with Wild Horizons, the 2025 edition drew over 5,000 participants and spectators from more than 40 countries. The marathon route, widely regarded as Africa’s most scenic, winds through game reserves and offers spectacular views of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.

https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1941861569450725776?s=46

Beyond the races, this year’s event featured live music, traditional dance, health expos, and community wellness activities.

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Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

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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.

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National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

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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.

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