National

Tsholotsho villagers stranded as heavy rains destroy homesteads, crops

Published

2 years ago

February 24, 2023

BY BRENDA NCUBE

Several villagers in Tsholotsho district were left counting losses as their homesteads and properties were destroyed following excessive rains experienced across the country this past week.

The three day heavy rain spell and destroyed homesteads in Ngamo, Nganyana and Sitambare villages which are situated on the low-lying flat land in the district.

Speaking in an interview with VicfallsLive, one of the victims from Nganyana area, Butholezwe Moyo said his whole homestead was swept away by the storms coupled with winds.

“My four huts were completely destroyed by the rains,”Moyo said.

“My family and I were left stranded with no roof over our heads. We are not the only ones who we affected, about seven other homesteads in my village lost huts to these rains.

“All our belongings and property were floating on water, the clothes and blankets were soaked in water such that we were unable to use them for sometime until the rains stopped,” he said.

Moyo added that the rains were too much as the floods responded immediately and got to knee level in some parts of Nganyana village.

“We have never experienced the rains of this magnitude in this area. The last time we had something close to this was about 10-15 years ago. This came as a surprise to us.

“As we speak the crops are turning yellow in the fields as they are still half covered with water. Our yields will be affected if the rains continue.”

Another villager from Ngamo, Jerry Mpofu, echoed similar sentiments Moyo about the rains destroying property.

“The rains caused a lot of disruption and destruction in our area. You find a homestead with four or five huts losing them all.

“They are in need of assistance with clothes and blankets,” he said

In 2017, Tsholotsho district was the most affected area by floods caused by tropical cyclone Dineo that racked havoc across the country.

About 850 people from Mbanyana, Mahlaba, Sheleni, Lutshomi amongst other areas in Tsholotsho district were displaced from their homes in the wake and passage of cyclone Dineo.

The affected families were later resettled in Esawudweni and Ngweba which are on higher ground from their former settlements which were on the low grounds of the river banks.

Meanwhile, the Department of Civil Protection has advised people to take caution against the tropical storm Freddy which is expected to make landfall in the southern parts of Zimbabwe from today.

Citizens living in low-lying areas were also encouraged to move to higher ground.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education issued a statement urging all institutions providing Primary and Secondary Education to stay alert and keep students safe as there may be flash floods caused by the tropical storm Freddy.

According to the statement, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matebeleland South (parts bordering Masvingo),Mashonaland East ,Mashonaland Central province and Harare metropolitan province have been placed on high alert and as a result, pupils within the areas are not to attend school or face to face instruction on Friday.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

4 weeks 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

2 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.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.