National

Zimbabwe faces worst drought in decades, 7.6 million at risk

Published

9 months ago

August 5, 2024

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A devastating drought induced by the El Niño weather phenomenon has left 7.6 million people in Zimbabwe facing acute hunger, with more than half of the harvest destroyed.

The country’s economy has been severely impacted, forcing the government to reduce growth projections.

United Nations officials, including Reena Ghelani and Valerie Guarnieri, have urged for international support to address the humanitarian crisis.

“Families have harvested nothing at all, and their food stocks are empty,” said Guarnieri.

“Families are now making survival decisions as the situation continues to worsen.”

The UN officials, who recently concluded a week-long drought-assessment mission to Zimbabwe, warned that the situation will only worsen during the peak lean season between January and March next year.

They emphasized the need for urgent support to provide assistance to affected communities and build long-term resilience.

The UN-coordinated Drought Flash Appeal for Zimbabwe requires $429 million to assist 3.1 million people this year but is only about 20% funded.

Edward Kallon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, stressed the need to scale up the response to ensure that no one dies of hunger and children remain in school.

The drought has also led to critical water shortages, with over 22% of school-aged children out of school due to the economic and social impacts.

The government has launched a national plan to address the impact of the drought, supporting food distribution and imports.

The UN officials’ call for support comes as the country faces its worst drought in decades, with shifted rainfall patterns and long dry spells leaving large parts of the region with insufficient rainfall and above-average temperatures.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

4 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.