National

Victoria Falls councillors snub full council meeting as tensions widen

Published

2 years ago

February 1, 2023

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Tuesday meeting had to be called off, after only four of the eleven councilors showed up to discuss the findings of the allegations of corruption against the town clerk Ronnie Dube.

Last year, Local Government and Public Works minister July Moyo set up a probe team after some residents’ representatives sought some investigation, accusing Dube of expropriating US$84 000 from the local authority’s account, allocation of a brewery stand to Jackleberry Investments without council authority among other allegations.

Dube was reported by the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (VIFACORA) and the MDC Alliance mayor Somvelo Dhlamini, who wrote to the minister asking for a probe.

VIFACORA chairperson Kelvin Moyo expressed disappointment in the councillors conduct.

“This expirience is uncalled for and it also boils down to the fact that there is a deliberate ploy into this.” Moyo said after the city’s chamber secretary Kholwani Mangena told Dhlamini that the number of present councillors could not form a quorum.

The findings were submitted early last month, but have not been shared with the public as the councillors have not been finding each other.

At first, they argued that Dhlamini could not chair as he had a pending criminal case and today, it failed because they could not make a quorum.

It was not revealed why the councillors had snubbed the meeting, although they were informed two days prior and they had reportedly been at the council chambers earlier.

Apart from the report, the meeting was also supposed to address other day to day council issues.

Residents have threatened to hold demonstrations to call for accountability.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

2 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

3 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

4 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.