National

Two Hwange men die in coke dumpsite tragedy

Published

4 years ago

September 28, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Two Hwange men died after they were trapped in a pit where they were digging for coke ore, a leading resident association has said.

Greater Whange Residents Association chairperson Fidelis Chima said the two, who are yet to be identified, died on Monday in the Empumalanga area.

“The incident happened on Monday at one of the dumpsites belonging to Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) where the pit collapsed on them,” Chima said.

“We understand that one of the deceased was a youth, who had just finished his college studies.

“For now we cannot share their personal details as police have not issued a statement, but they were digging for ore that they would sell to brick moulders.”

Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda was not reachable.

Cases of people dying after being trapped in HCCL’s dumpsites have become common in the coal mining town and Chima blamed the pattern on poverty and economic hardships.

“People are struggling especially the youths who are unemployed, and this is the reason why they end up resorting to these illegal and dangerous survival means,” he said.

In May, Sekani Mathe (37) from Madumabisa Village was trapped to death in one of the pits as she was digging for coke.

Another victim, Simelweyinkosi Dube of A110B met her death in February last year and HCCL at the time said the woman had trespassed into the company’s dump site with the intention to steal coke while in the company of a colleague, who escaped severe injuries.

This was after the tunnel where they were scavenging for coke collapsed unexpectedly.

Women in the area say the product is in high demand in Bulawayo and Harare where the buyers hire haulage trucks to do door to door collections on a weekly basis.

Others sell their consignments to truck drivers at the unregulated truck stop at Cindrella.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 week 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.