National

Zimbabwean brutally killed by mob in South Africa

Published

3 years ago

April 7, 2022

JOHANNESBURG – South African Police minister Bheki Cele has dismissed claims that the interventions made to deal with crime in Diepsloot have failed – just a day since their implementation.

Cele, accompanied by national police commissioner Sehlahle Masemola, was in Diepsloot to visit the scene where a Zimbabwean man was killed in an apparent mob attack on Wednesday night.

The 43-year-old was reportedly pelted with stones and dragged onto Thubelihle Street in Extension 1 by a mob that demanded residents produce IDs and passports to prove they weren’t undocumented nationals.

Cele said more than 100 members of the special forces had been deployed to the crime ravaged area following violent community protests calling for better policing.

“The fact that there is somebody who died does not mean that the situation is out of control.

“We have deployments in this area, there are police and we have made more than 24 arrests,” he said.

While neighbours expressed fear and shock at the attack on Nyathi it has emerged that another man was assaulted by the same mob that murdered the father of four.

Standing near the bloodstained ground where the second victim was beaten, neighbour Eclick Mphalle said she feared for her life.

“They must send _amaberethe _to protect and guard us 24/7 because we aren’t safe here – we don’t sleep.”

With extra boots on the ground residents said they still feared for their lives.

They said police had failed to prevent or even stop crime in the area but Cele disagreed, saying, “I hear some people saying there were no police but 24 people were arrested here.

“Now, I don’t know who arrested them if there were no police.”

Masemola confirmed that no arrests had been made in connection with the murder.

“Police were not phoned to come out, police were patrolling, they came across this group of people. You see the area yourself. If someone runs away, police couldn’t find them.”

Cele would return to the township on Friday when he is expected to give feedback on more permanent solutions to the situation in the area but this has brought little comfort for the community.- Eyewitness News

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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.