National

Zimbabwe scraps mandatory wearing of masks in open public spaces

Published

3 years ago

August 17, 2022

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe has suspended the mandatory wearing of face masks in open public spaces as the country continues to relax tough measures to control the spread of Covid-19.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists in Harare on Tuesday that the exemption will only benefited those that are fully vaccinated against the disease.

Mutsvangwa said face masks were still required for everybody during indoor public events such as concerts.

“Noting the significant decrease in Covid-19 cases, Cabinet resolved as follows, that those who have been fully vaccinated with the World Health Organisation recommended vaccines are now exempted from mandatory wearing of face masks in outdoor public spaces, but should however wear face masks in indoor public spaces and on public transport,” she said.

“Those who are fully vaccinated should carry their vaccination cards all the time.”

Zimbabwe made the wearing of masks in public compulsory on May 4, 2020 to curb a surge in Covid-19 cases.

Neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Botswana scrapped the mandatory wearing of masks in public several months ago.

According to the Health and Child Care ministry, on Tuesday Zimbabwe only recorded only four new Covid-19 cases and there were no deaths.

Mutsvangwa said the country registered a 46 percent decline in new infections after 57 cases were recorded last week, compared to 105 the previous week.

The country recorded an average of eight new cases per day last week compared to 15 the previous week.

Zimbabwe’s cumulative Covid-19 cases stood at 256 561 as at August 15 with 250 733 recoveries and 5 588 deaths.

To fight the pandemic, the government also made vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory and as of August 15, 6 390 545 people had received their first dose of the vaccine while 4 752 575 had received the second dose.

Another 959 909 had been given the third dose.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 week 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.