National

Victoria Falls tenant strangles landlord over unpaid rentals

Published

3 years ago

November 5, 2021

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Victoria Falls landlord narrowly escaped death after she was strangled by her tenant for demanding overdue rentals.

The tenant Qondisani Nyathi (31) from Chinotimba high density suburb appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Linda Dzvene on Tuesday facing assault charges over the September 26 attack.

Prosecutor Asher Chindedza said on the day Happiness Tshuma, who lived in the same house with Nyathi, demanded her money.

The tenant told Tshuma that he did not have the money to pay her.

“A misunderstanding arose resulting in the complainant grabbing the accused’s washing basket intending to throw it outside the house, and that did not go well with the accused who went on to grab the complainant by her neck choking her,” Chindedza said.

The prosecutor did not say how Tshuma managed to escape from her attacker, but it was revealed that after she regained her consciousness, she reported the matter to the police.

According to a doctor’s medical report, Tshuma was at risk of suffering permanent disability due to the injuries she suffered in the attack.

Nyathi told the court that he attacked Tshuma to save his property.

Dvene sentenced Nyathi to six months and three of them were suspended on condition that he pays a $10 000 fine.

The remaining three months were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

3 days 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.