National

Victoria Falls married man assaults 17 year-old lover for ‘cheating’

Published

3 years ago

July 5, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Victoria Falls man has been ordered to pay a fine of $8 000 after he assaulted his 17-year-old girlfriend whom he accused of sleeping with other men in exchange for money.

Thandolwenkosi Mathe (20) of Lupinyu village under Chief Mvuthu was convicted on his own plea of guilt when he appeared before local magistrate Linda Dzvene facing assault charges last Tuesday.

Prosecutors said on May 29, at around 3 AM at Lupinyu Business Centre, Mathe accused girl of sleeping around with other men and started assaulting her.

He told Dzvene that on the day he assaulted the girl had slept with another man while she kept him waiting.

“I assaulted her because she was now being hired by people for sexual activities at the business centre,” Mathe said.

“One the day, she had kept me waiting and went on to sleep with someone else there, so I was angry.”

In passing sentence, Dzvene said although she had considered that Mathe was a first offender who was also an unemployed father, cautioning him only would send wrong signals.

“Although no injuries were sustained, cases of domestic violence are on the increase here in Victoria Falls (and) there is need for stiff sentences in order to deter the accused,” the magistrate said.

“A custodial sentence is harsh taking into account that the accused person is a first offender and that he pleaded guilty to his offence.

“I have also disregarded community service taking into consideration that no injuries were sustained as the result of the assault as indicated by the affidavit written by the complainant.

“It is my view that a fine conjoined with a suspended imprisonment will deter accused person from committing similar offences in future.”

Mathe was order ordered to pay the money by July 27, failure to which he will face two months imprisonment.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month 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

2 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.