In the community

Zinara closes some tollgates for upgrade, relocates some

Published

3 years ago

January 3, 2023

BY STAFF REPORTER

The Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) has announced the closure of two tollgates to pave way for scheduled rehabilitation.

In a notice seen by Pindula News, ZINARA said the two tollgates, one situated 9km west of Triangle on the Ngundu-Tanganda Road and the other 17.5km from Chivhu on the Chivhu-Nyazura Road stopped operating on Saturday, 31 December 2022.

“The Zimbabwe National Road Administration would like to advise the motoring public that the Triangle and Magamba tollgates have been suspended with effect from 31st December 2022 in terms of Statutory Instrument 219 of 2022,”ZINARA said in a statement.

“The suspension of operations at these tollgates is part of our continuous operational review. Zinara takes this opportunity to thank the motoring public for their continued cooperation.”

ZINARA said five other tollgates on the outskirts of cities and towns are set to be moved further out as the expanding urban areas lap around them.

This will make them once again highway tollgates and ease the financial burden on motorists living in peri-urban areas who were paying road tolls twice daily on their way to and from work.

Tollgates set to be relocated are:

i). Skyline,

ii). Dema,

iii). Lion’s Den,

iv). Umguza and,

v). Shamva tollgate which is set to be moved to the 40km peg along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway.

Other tollgates are to be upgraded to standard levels are

a). Norton,

b). Esigodini,

c). Mushagashi,

d). Mupfurudzi and,

e). Colleen Bawn.

Towards the end of December, the government started constructing toll plazas along the country’s major highways, according to senior officials.

There are 33 toll gates countrywide and at least two-thirds of the toll gates will be upgraded to toll plazas, officials said.

Matabeleland North Province only has two tollgates along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway between Hwange and Umguza districts.

In May last year, ZINARA said it was making headway on plans to establish an e-tolling system to reduce operating costs from toll fee collection.

The system will allow motorists to pay upfront and then just drive, without stopping at tollgates while the fees are automatically deducted as they drive through. This is now common in many countries.

Toll fee collections totalled $1.2 billion in 2020, 556 per cent higher than the $183 million realised in 2019- Pindula/VicFallsLive

In the community

Hwange duo sentenced to 26 months for wildlife crimes

Published

13 hours ago

August 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Two Hwange men have been sentenced to 26 months imprisonment for setting 49 wire snares, including 48 class one snares, in Sinamatela Game Park, resulting in the killing of one impala and two female kudus, with a total value of US$6 000 worth of dried game meat.

Lungisani Moyo (38) and Joel Nyathi (27), both from Madumabisa Village, were convicted of contravening the Trapping of Animal Control Act.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the state presented a case that the two unlawfully set the snares this month, resulting in the illegal killing of one impala and two female kudus.

The matter came to light after a joint patrol by police and Zim-Parks officers intercepted a man in the Lwendulu area carrying a suspicious black bag. Upon searching him, authorities recovered 12 bundles of dried game meat.

Upon probe, the man led officers to Moyo’s residence, where further illegal game products were discovered.

Subsequent searches at both Moyo and Nyathi’s homes yielded a total of 22 bundles of dried game meat, kudu hooves, intestines, and other animal parts.

Police investigations confirmed the use of wire snares to hunt the animals within protected parkland.

The total value of the poached wildlife is US$6 000.

Of the 26-month sentence, 10 months were suspended for five years, leaving the two to serve an effective 16 months imprisonment.

In the community

Hwange man fined US$1 100 for illegal kudu meat sales

Published

2 days ago

August 26, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A 62-year-old man from Hwange has been fined to pay US$1 100 for selling dried kudu meat without a permit.

This was heard at the Hwange Regional Court when Samson Ncube appeared before a magistrate for selling meat without a license.

The state alleges that Ncube was found with 12kg of dried kudu meat valued at US$480, which he was selling without a permit.

He was arrested by CID Minerals Flora and Fauna and ZimParks during patrols in Lwendulu Village.

The magistrate sentenced Ncube to pay a fine of US$1 100 by September 19, next month, or face 3 months in jail.

The recovered meat was forfeited.

In the community

Goat thief caught red-handed in Tsholotsho

Published

2 days ago

August 26, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A 30-year-old man from Tsholotsho, has been convicted of stock theft after killing a goat he stole at a farm.

Praymore Sibanda was busted after police recovered the stolen goats carcass at his residence.

Sibanda’s downfall came when he appeared last week before the Tsholotsho Magistrates’ Court facing stock theft charges.

According to the State, on 11 August, Sibanda stole a male goat valued at ZAR 900 from Moses Ncube’s farm.

The court heard that Sibanda’s reign of theft ended when Ncube discovered the theft and reported it to the police, leading to Sibanda’s arrest after police found the goat meat and the skin at his homestead.

In a bid to teach him a lesson, the magistrate sentenced Sibanda to four months imprisonment, wholly suspended on condition that he restitutes ZAR 900 to the victim.