National

ZCTU moves to block forced Covid vaccinations

Published

4 years ago

August 28, 2021

HARARE -Zimbabwe’s biggest workers’ union has taken the state and several firms to court for insisting that employees must be inoculated against Covid-19 before reporting for work, saying there is no law under the country’s statutes providing for compulsory vaccination.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions is challenging Paul Mavima, the public service, labour and social welfare minister, the attorney general and several state-linked firms, including fixed-line operator TelOne and the Zimbabwe National Road Administration, for “taking the law into their own hands” on employee vaccinations, according to court filings.

Zimnat Insurance, associated with South African insurance provider Sanlam, SeedCo Zimbabwe and Windmill are some of the firms also cited in the court filings dated August 13 and seen by Bloomberg.

The workers’ union said “thousands of workers” were affected by their employer’s decision to bar them from reporting for work and thousands more will be prejudiced.

The country has started the slow process of reopening, although lockdown measures remain in place. Social gatherings, including church meetings and dining in at restaurants, are open only to vaccinated people.

The vaccination programme was extended this week to 14 to 17-year-olds on the advice of scientists, Monica Mutsvangwa, the information minister said.

Students will return to classrooms from August 30, after schools were shuttered for more than two months.

Zimbabwe has authorised the use of vaccines from China, Russia and India.

The Johnson & Johnson shot was approved in July for emergency use after previously being blocked, as Zimbabwe struggled to contain a third wave of Covid-19 cases.

It expects to reach herd immunity by year-end, with about 10% of its 15 million people fully vaccinated.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government says it wants to vaccinate 60 percent of the population before the end of the year to achieve herd immunity.

Some religious groups, however, are against Covid-19 vaccination. – Bloomberg/VicFallsLive

National

Zimbabwe road traffic fatalities rise to 20 amid recent accidents

Published

4 days ago

August 30, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has confirmed that the death toll from recent road traffic accidents has tragically escalated to at least 20 individuals in the past few days. This surge in fatalities has raised serious concerns regarding road safety across the nation.

In a statement released today, the ZRP detailed a fatal accident that occurred early this morning at the 246-kilometer peg along the Mutare-Masvingo Road, near Mutendi Complex. A Dragon bus, carrying 20 passengers and traveling from Beitbridge to Mutare, collided with a haulage truck while attempting to overtake. The bus driver swerved back into his lane upon noticing an oncoming vehicle, resulting in a devastating sideswipe that caused timber from the truck to pierce into the bus. Eight people, including the bus driver, died at the scene, and four others were injured in the crash. The injured were transferred to Masvingo General Hospital for treatment.

The ZRP emphasized the alarming trend of road accidents in their statement, noting

that these incidents were predominantly caused by reckless overtaking. “Most of the accidents recorded recently have been due to overtaking errors on the part of drivers,” police officials stated. “We urge all motorists to exercise extreme caution and adhere strictly to traffic regulations.”

This latest accident follows another tragic incident on August 28 involving a Toyota Fortuner GD6 at the 46-kilometer peg along the same road. The vehicle veered off the road and hit a concrete signpost, resulting in four immediate fatalities. This number subsequently rose to six as two more victims succumbed to their injuries after being admitted to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.

Additionally, on August 29, a separate accident on the Harare-Nyamapanda Road claimed the lives of seven family members when a kombi they were traveling in lost control during an overtaking maneuver, resulting in an overturn that killed five instantly and two more in the hospital.

National

Tragic attack in Madlambuzi: Five dead as suspected mental patient goes on rampage

Published

2 weeks ago

August 22, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Police in Madlambuzi, Matabeleland South Province has are a suspected mental patient, Phamani Sibanda, following a violent rampage that left five people dead and two others injured on Wednesday.

According to the police statement, Sibanda (43) allegedly attacked seven people in the village using a Mopani log, a blunt object, and an unknown sharp weapon, targeting anyone who crossed his path.

The victims of this tragic attack have been identified by their next of kin:

Elliot Khupe, 101, a male adult from Bellas Village
Butho Tshuma, 97, a female adult from Bellas Village
Constance Sibanda, 66, a female adult from Bellas Village
Tiffan Surprise Ndlovu, 6, a female juvenile from Bellas Village
Catra Matsika, 72, from Central Village

In addition to the fatalities, two other women, aged 90 and 41, sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Madlambuzi Clinic and Plumtree District Hospital.

The ZRP has underscored the pressing need for community awareness regarding mental health issues. “We implore the public to promptly refer mental patients to medical institutions for treatment and to actively monitor their behavior to prevent such violent incidents,” the statement elaborated. It encouraged community members to report any concerns to the National Complaints Desk at (0242) 703631 or via WhatsApp at 0712 800197, or to approach the nearest police station.

National

US suspends visa processing in Zimbabwe, embassy says

Published

2 weeks ago

August 21, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY REUTERS

The United States has stopped processing most visas in Zimbabwe until further notice, its embassy in the capital Harare said on Wednesday, citing unspecified concerns with the government.

“We have paused routine visa services in Harare while we address concerns with the Government of Zimbabwe,” the embassy said in a post on X. It said the move was not a travel ban and that current visas would remain valid.

The government of the Southern African country did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The pause took effect on August 7, according to a notice on the U.S. State Department’s website, which said it applied to all visa services with the exception of most diplomatic and official visas.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has restricted travel from a number of African countries, saying it is working to prevent visa overstaying and misuse.

Zimbabwe had a visa overstay rate of 10.57% in 2023, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report.

Starting this week, the U.S. will require visa applicants from Zambia and Malawi to pay bonds of up to $15,000 for some visitor visas. The Trump administration has also paused visa processing in Niger.

Harare resident Angella Chirombo said her 18-year-old son had received a scholarship to do his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and had been waiting for a visa interview when the pause hit.

“He was supposed to be in school already. I paid for everything else and was waiting for the visa so I could buy tickets,” she told Reuters.

She said other parents were considering booking interviews at other U.S. embassies in Southern Africa, but that she wouldn’t be able to afford the travel.

“Now they are saying we can go to Zambia and Namibia. I don’t even have money right now and I don’t know where to get this money. They are so many students that have been affected.”