Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa
Senior Reporter
FOR families caught in the devastating Kariba boat tragedy, the pain of losing loved ones has been compounded by uncertainty, grief and the agonising process of bringing the deceased home.
Amid the anguish, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has emerged as a motherly source of comfort and guidance, keeping in touch with developments and ensuring that affected families receive the support they need.
The tragedy has now claimed 92 lives, with search and recovery efforts continuing for those still unaccounted for.
President Mnangagwa has since declared the Kariba boat tragedy a State of Disaster, paving the way for greater mobilisation of support for bereaved families and the ongoing search, recovery and relief efforts.
The boat capsized on August 11 while travelling from Kariba to Chalala, leaving families grappling with the sudden and devastating loss of their loved ones.
The rising death toll has deepened the need for compassion and coordinated support for the affected families.
For Dr Mnangagwa, standing with the bereaved means more than expressing condolences.
It means listening to their concerns, offering maternal guidance and working with those responsible for the national response to ensure that families are not left to face the tragedy alone.
Deeply saddened by the loss of life, Dr Mnangagwa has remained concerned about the welfare of affected families, keeping in touch with developments and offering reassurance as authorities continue with search, recovery and support efforts.
Her concern has extended to the national response, with Dr Mnangagwa coordinating with Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who oversees the Civil Protection Department, as authorities work to bring the recovery operation to completion.
For Dr Mnangagwa, the tragedy is not merely a national disaster being followed from a distance.
It is a deeply painful human tragedy affecting mothers, fathers, children, siblings and relatives whose lives have been suddenly shattered.
As a mother, she has sought to provide guidance and comfort to families confronting unimaginable loss, while helping ensure that their concerns are heard and the necessary assistance is mobilised.
The development brought another painful reality to families already struggling to come to terms with their loss, particularly those still waiting to give their loved ones a dignified farewell.
The First Lady is also scheduled to meet 36-year-old Taurai Taruvamba, a brave woman who rescued seven people, including her own two children, during the tragic incident.
The tragedy has been particularly heartbreaking because some of those who lost their lives were children whose lives were tragically cut short.
For grieving families, the mourning process has therefore been accompanied by the painful wait for the recovery and identification of loved ones, adding another layer of anguish to an already devastating ordeal.
In expressing her grief, Dr Mnangagwa has spoken as a mother sharing the pain of other mothers and families, saying she is deeply saddened by the tragedy that has plunged the nation into mourning.
She has also extended her prayers to those still missing and to the teams working tirelessly in the search and recovery operation.
Her response has underscored a defining feature of her public work — reaching out to people in moments when they need compassion, direction and practical support.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, who led a mass national memorial service at Nyamhunga Stadium in Kariba, said President Mnangagwa and Dr Mnangagwa had been deeply touched by the devastating tragedy.
“When one family is struck by a disaster, we do not say it is their problem. We say it is our problem. It is a tragedy that has befallen our entire national family. That is what has brought us together here today.
“Your problem is my problem. It is the President’s problem and, above all, it is a matter that has deeply affected the First Lady.
“She has said that the tragedy that has befallen the families of Kariba and Chalala has befallen the whole nation. Let us therefore put our heads together and work together,” he said.
Minister Garwe also conveyed a message of comfort and condolences from the President and the First Lady.
“They have said: Allow yourselves to be comforted by God. Allow yourselves to be comforted by the Almighty. Death is ultimately in God’s hands.
“Even if you were to go to a drinking place and someone poisoned you, God would already have known that this would be the manner of your death. But what God does not reveal to us is the day or manner in which we will die.
“If we were told, we would make preparations. We would prepare ourselves. But God does not reveal these things to us,” he said.
Minister Garwe said, as stated in the Bible, particularly in the Second Epistle to Timothy, people should, while they still have the opportunity to live on this earth, dedicate themselves to doing good to others, including their neighbours, fathers, mothers, Government and country.
“That spirit of doing good is what will ultimately lead us to the table of Jesus, where we will be able to testify: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, I have finished my race.’
“For I know that to reach the Father, I must pass through the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
Minister Garwe said Government remained steadfast in its support for the bereaved families and would continue assisting them beyond the burial of their loved ones.
“The work of the Civil Protection Department does not end on the day the deceased are buried. We must continue working with the families because we understand that some of those who have died were fathers who were heads of households, while others were mothers who were breadwinners.
“We know that when both father and mother are gone, we must ensure that Civil Protection officials continue to reach out to the families in their communities so that the survivors receive the assistance they need and are able to move forward with their lives,” he said.
As search and recovery efforts continue, the nation remains united in grief, while affected families draw strength from every gesture of support as they face the painful journey ahead.
For the bereaved, the road ahead remains difficult, but the continued compassion and support from Dr Mnangagwa offer reassurance that they are not walking it alone.
