National

Victoria Falls residents vow to bar town clerk from office despite minister’s intervention

Published

6 months ago

December 8, 2024

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Residents of Victoria Falls have vowed to bar Town Clerk Ronnie Dube from returning to office despite Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe’s intervention.

Garwe had nullified the council’s decision to suspend Dube over allegations of corruption related to land deals and contracts by mayor Prince Tuso Moyo.

The residents are adamant that they want investigations into the allegations to be completed, citing years of corruption in the town that have gone unchecked.

“The reason why we were here was to give the residents feedback that they had initially asked us to write to the mayor to say he should suspend the Town Clerk Ronnie Dube on the allegations,” said Kelvin Moyo, chairperson of the Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association this Sunday at Chinotimba Halls where hundreds of residents, including the war veterans and Hwange Residents Association gathered to discuss the matter and craft the way forward.

Moyo added that the residents were not satisfied with the minister’s decision to rescind the suspension.

“People have resolved after giving them the feedback that the letter that was written by the minister in terms of rescinding their decision, which was a resolution, it should be put aside because the section that he raised can only be raised when actually he is protecting the interests of the residents, but in this regard, the interests of the residents are known by ourselves and the residents are saying it is the right decision for them to suspend the Town Clerk inorder to pave way for the investigation,” he said.

The residents have resolved to stage a peaceful demonstration to ensure that Dube does not report to work until investigations are completed.

They plan to march to the council offices to bar Dube from entering.

Minister Garwe’s decision to nullify the suspension was based on Section 139 (4) of the Urban Councils Act, which states that the minister has the power to intervene in council decisions.

However, Moyo argued that this section does not apply in this case, as the minister is not protecting the interests of the residents.

The controversy surrounding Dube’s suspension is the latest in a series of allegations of corruption and mismanagement at the Victoria Falls City Council.

Dube has declined commenting on these allegations since his suspension last week.

In 2021, Dube was suspended over similar allegations, but was later reinstated.

More detailed story about the meeting to follow…

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.