Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa
MWEDZI unopfuura mumwe chete kubva apo paitika tsaona yechikepe cheMV Rida Mbuya Nehanda iyo yakakonzera kufa kwevanhu makumi mapfumbamwe nevanomwe, chikepe chitsva chotanga kushanda muLake Kariba.
Chikepe ichi chiri kupa rubatsiro rukuru rwekufambisa vanhu nenhumbi kuvanhu avo vakapedza mavhiki vachinetseka zvichitevera kurasikirwa kwavakaitwa nehama neshamwari, kusakwanisa kufamba zvakanaka, uye kukanganisika kwemabhizimisi.
Chikepe cheMV Silverstone, icho chiri kushandiswa nekambani yeMost High Ferries, chakaparurwa zviri pamutemo nadirector mubazi rezvekufambisa nekusimudzirwa kwezvivakwa, VaKingstone Magaya, avo vaimiririra munyori mukuru mubazi iri Engineer Joey Makumbe.
Chikepe ichi chichashanda nenzira yeKariba-Chalala iyo yaimboshandiswa necheMV Rida Mbuya Nehanda icho chakaita tsaona.
Ichi chimwe chezvirongwa zvekutanga zvemakambani akazvimirira zvine chinangwa chekuti pave nekufambiswa kwevanhu nenhumbi mushure menjodzi yakaitika musi wa11 Nyamavhuvhu 2026.
VaMagaya vanoti Hurumende yega haigone kupa mabasa akakwana ekufambisa vanhu nenhumbi muLake Kariba, uye vakarumbidza muridzi wechikepe ichi, VaHillard Mangove, nekupinda muzvirongwa izvi panguva yakakosha kudai.
“Fungidzirai dai taiva nevamwe vanoita basa iri, kunze kwechikepe cheRIDA icho chaimboshanda nenzira iyoyo. Zvaizoreva kuti hataizosangana nematambudziko kana zvimhingamupinyi, kana kukanganisika kwehupfumi nemagariro emhuri,” vanodaro.
Vanoti kuvhurwa kwemikana yekuti makambani akasiyana-siyana ashande munzira dzekufambisa vanhu nenhumbi, kusanganisira madhamu, kwava chikamu chakakosha chemutemo weHurumende une chinangwa chekuvandudza kufamba kwevanhu nekusimudzira hupfumi.
Mukutaura kwavo, mukuru wezvekufambisa zvikepe (lake captain), VaAdan Nyekete, vanoti kuparurwa kwekushanda kwechikepe ichi kwauya panguva iyo nyika ichiri kuyedza kupora kubva mukurasikirwa kukuru kwehupenyu kwakakonzerwa netsaona yechikepe nguva pfupi yadarika.
Vanoti chikepe ichi pasi pacho pane zvikamu zvitatu zvinoyangarara (pontoons) uye chine hurefu hwemamita 21.8 pamwe chete nehupamhi hwemamita 5.9.
Chikepe ichi chinogona kutakura vanhu makumi matanhatu nevashandi vana, uye chichange chichimira paKings Camp Fishing Camp and Musambakaruma Fishing Camp murwendo rwacho.
“Chikepe ichi chakaongororwa zvakadzama uye chinozadzikisa zvinodiwa nemitemo yese yekuchengetedzeka,” vanodaro.
VaNyekete vanokurudzira vashandi vechikepe kuti vaise pamberi kuchengetedzeka kwevafambi nguva dzose.
“Regai kuedzwa nepfungwa dzekutakura vanhu kana nhumbi zvakawandisa kuitira kungowana mari nekukurumidza, izvo zvinokanganisa kuchengetedzeka kwemakasitoma enyu,” vanodaro.
Vanoyeuchidzawo vashandi vechikepe kuti mvumo yavo inovabvumidza kushanda chete pakati pa6 mangwanani na6 manheru.
Mutungamiri wekambani yeSilverstone Ferry, VaMangove, vanoti matanho akawanda ekuchengetedzeka akaiswa pakushanda kwechikepe ichi kuitira kuona kuti vafambi nenhumbi zvinotakurwa zvakachengetedzeka.
Nhumbi dzose dzichayerwa huremu hwadzo dzisati dzaiswa muchikepe kuitira kuona kuti chikepe hachipfuuri huremu hwakatarwa hwematani 18, kusanganisira vafambi nenhumbi dzacho.
Chikepe ichi chichatakurawo majaketi ekuchengetedza hupenyu (life jackets).
Pamusoro pezvo, zvikepe zvidiki zviviri zvinomhanya zvikuru (speed boats) zvichaperekedza chikepe chikuru ichi kuitira kusimudzira kuchengetedzeka uye kutora matanho akakodzera kana pachinge pazoitika tsaona.
VaMangove vanoti chirongwa ichi chaive chichigadzirirwa kwenguva yakati rebei, kunyange hazvo njodzi yakaitika yakakurumidzisa kudiwa kwekutanga kushandisa chikepe ichi.
“Mushure menjodzi yacho, takaona kuti paiva nekudiwa kukuru kwezvekufambisa kuitira kuti mabhizimisi arambe achishanda uye mhuri dzirambe dzichikwanisa kusangana. Taifanira kutevedzera maitiro nemitemo inodiwa, uye ndinofara kuti tasvika panguva ino,” vanodaro.
Mibhadharo yekufamba yakatarwa zvichienderana nenzvimbo dzinomira chikepe munzira yacho. Rwendo rwekuenda kuKings Camp ruchaita US$8, ukuwo vafambi vanoenderera mberi kuMusambakaruma vachibhadhara imwe US$5. Rwendo rwakananga kubva kuKariba kuenda kuChalala ruchaita US$15.
Vakuru veHurumende nevagari vemunharaunda vane tariro yekuti chikepe cheMV Silverstone chichabatsira kumutsiridza hupfumi hwemunzvimbo dziri pedyo neLake Kariba, ukuwo chichibatsira nekuti vafambi vave vakachengetedzeka mushure mukuitika kwenjodzi yakaipisisa muzvifambiso zvemumvura munhoroondo yeZimbabwe.
