National

Zimbabwe reopens bars, but only for vaccinated drinkers

Published

4 years ago

October 6, 2021

BY FARAI MUTSAKA

Zimbabwe is allowing bars to reopen for the first time in more than a year, but only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to take a swig from inside the premises.

The southern African country closed pubs and nightclubs in March 2020 as part of restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19 and had ignored pleas by owners to ease the restrictions to rescue their collapsing businesses

“It is a huge relief,” Faith Masiya, a director of FC Lounge in the eastern city of Mutare, said Wednesday.

“Being closed for more than a year wasn’t a joke, it nearly killed our business.

“We had a lot of overheads to meet like salaries, trading license fees, water and electricity bills.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the decision to open pubs and nightclubs was out of “concern” that “the continued closure of licensed bars and nightclubs has caused not only a loss of income and unemployment but also resulted in the mushrooming of illegal outlets.”

Before the decision, alcohol sales were limited to supermarkets, small retail liquor stores, restaurants and hotels serving customers. Pubs and nightclubs will still have to close by 7 PM, the time all non-essential businesses must close under existing restrictions, said Mutsvangwa.

For drinkers, this is still better than before when they had to play hide and seek with the police while drinking at illegal taverns or open spaces turned into drinking spots.

To stay afloat, many outlets would also surreptitiously sell booze to patrons through small windows and often paid bribes for the police to look the other way.

Zimbabwe is one of the few African countries to use vaccine mandates to push a hesitant population to get jabs.

Only fully vaccinated people are permitted to go to places of worship and restaurants, for instance.

The government has also ordered all its workers to get vaccinated or lose their pay.

Private sector employers are also telling workers to get the shots or lose their jobs.

Zimbabwe had recorded 131,335 infections, including 4,629 deaths, as of October 5, according to government figures.

More than 15 percent of Zimbabwe’s 15 million people are fully vaccinated — well above the overall African rate of four but far from the government’s goal of 60 percent. – AP

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.