Yesha
Senior Member
- Jan 28, 2026
- 183
- 97
Two residents of Kariba have taken the Zimbabwean Government to court, demanding safe and reliable ferry services on Lake Kariba, weeks after a ferry disaster killed 97 people.
Fishermen Tonderai Ndevani and Chilumbo Mudenda filed an urgent application at the High Court in Chinhoyi against the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The residents argue that communities around Lake Kariba have been left without an adequate public ferry following the Mbuya Nehanda disaster. They say people now have to rely on a smaller private ferry or take a much longer and more expensive road journey.
The private MV Silverstone, introduced on the Kariba-Chalala route on 18 September, carries 60 passengers and four crew members.
According to the applicants, travelling by ferry previously took about two to three hours and cost between US$10 and US$15. By road, the journey can take up to 10 hours and cost between US$40 and US$45.
They want the Government ordered to provide ferries that meet legal safety requirements and, if permanent vessels cannot be secured immediately, to provide suitable interim boats.
The applicants are also asking the court to require authorities to submit monthly reports on progress towards restoring adequate ferry services.
The case comes after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on 11 August, killing 97 people. The disaster exposed the importance of Lake Kariba's ferry services to communities whose livelihoods and daily travel depend on the water route.
The residents' court action is now raising a broader question: after such a devastating loss of life, are the measures taken to restore ferry services enough to protect the communities that still depend on Lake Kariba?
Source: New Zimbabwe, 29 September 2026.
Fishermen Tonderai Ndevani and Chilumbo Mudenda filed an urgent application at the High Court in Chinhoyi against the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
The residents argue that communities around Lake Kariba have been left without an adequate public ferry following the Mbuya Nehanda disaster. They say people now have to rely on a smaller private ferry or take a much longer and more expensive road journey.
The private MV Silverstone, introduced on the Kariba-Chalala route on 18 September, carries 60 passengers and four crew members.
According to the applicants, travelling by ferry previously took about two to three hours and cost between US$10 and US$15. By road, the journey can take up to 10 hours and cost between US$40 and US$45.
They want the Government ordered to provide ferries that meet legal safety requirements and, if permanent vessels cannot be secured immediately, to provide suitable interim boats.
The applicants are also asking the court to require authorities to submit monthly reports on progress towards restoring adequate ferry services.
The case comes after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on 11 August, killing 97 people. The disaster exposed the importance of Lake Kariba's ferry services to communities whose livelihoods and daily travel depend on the water route.
The residents' court action is now raising a broader question: after such a devastating loss of life, are the measures taken to restore ferry services enough to protect the communities that still depend on Lake Kariba?
Source: New Zimbabwe, 29 September 2026.