Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
THE screams of passengers battling for their lives in the dark waters of Lake Kariba still echo in Mrs Taurai Chalibamba’s mind as she recounts how she plunged into the treacherous waters to save fellow passengers.
As she travelled to receive a cash reward from First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa on Wednesday, Chalibamba recalled how she repeatedly swam towards passengers crying for help after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on August 11.
As the ferry overturned without warning, chaos and fear gripped the passengers, but Mrs Chalibamba set aside her own safety to focus on those desperately fighting to stay alive.
Amid the confusion, she battled the waters to reach passengers calling for help, risking her life as she pulled seven people to safety.
Even with her own children facing the danger of drowning, the mother chose to place the lives of others before her own.
Her selfless courage, displayed at a moment when every second was critical, has emerged as one of the most remarkable acts of bravery from the tragedy.
Her courage caught the attention and out of love and compassion as a mother herself, Dr Mnangagwa recognised Taurai’s extraordinary bravery with a cash gift, honouring a woman whose selfless actions gave seven people another chance at life.
“I was moved by the lifeless bodies of many passengers men, women and children that I was seeing. I was also looking at myself in disbelief, wondering how I had managed to survive such a horrific accident,” she said.
“To me, this was a sign that I had to save the other passengers who were calling for help, among them my 21-year-old child.”
Chalibamba, from Mola in Kariba Rural, said she did not know where she found the strength to keep swimming from one struggling passenger to another.
“I am an average swimmer. I don’t know where I gathered the power and courage to swim and save these other passengers,” she said.
Despite having only basic swimming skills, Chalibamba rescued seven passengers, including her daughter, while her one-year-old child was strapped to her back.
“I could hear people calling for help, and I knew I had to do something. I kept swimming towards those who were struggling and tried to help them get to safety,” she said.
Chalibamba was among the 77 people who survived the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA) ferry disaster, which has so far claimed at least 95 lives.
Her cash gift was handed over to Chalibamba on Wednesday by Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Marian Chombo.
Minister Chombo said Dr Mnangagwa recognised Chalibamba as a courageous woman for putting the lives of fellow passengers ahead of her own.
The Minister, conveying a message from the First Lady, said Dr Mnangagwa was pleased to honour Mrs Taurai Chalibamba for her selfless actions in helping save fellow passengers when the Kariba ferry capsized.
“She chose to help her fellow passengers at a time of disaster, even though she was with her children.
“Not everyone can do that; it takes someone with genuine love and concern for the lives of others,” she said.
Minister Chombo said Chalibamba’s story had deeply touched Dr Mnangagwa.
“The Mother of the Nation was moved when she heard that we have people who are selfless like Taurai. She has given a gift of cash as a token of appreciation for the selflessness and love she showed,” she said.
“Initially, she wanted to hand over the money herself to Taurai when she visited Kariba on Tuesday, but she wasn’t there. Dr Mnangagwa then instructed me to contact Taurai and that she should come and collect her reward.”
Minister Chombo said Dr Mnangagwa was particularly moved by Chalibamba’s decision to help others despite the danger facing her and her children.
“She was deeply moved by how Taurai managed to help her fellow passengers to survive without thinking about the fact that she herself and her children were also in danger of drowning and dying,” she said.
“But she showed the kind of courage that the nation must respect.”
The First Lady has remained in touch with the affected families since the tragedy struck, also visiting the bereaved families and survivors in Kariba, embracing their pain as a mother would.
Dr Mnangagwa sat with the families, listened to their painful stories and offered words of comfort. As a mother, she shared in the anguish of those mourning children, parents, siblings and other loved ones whose lives were suddenly cut short.
For Chalibamba and her husband, Mr Tinei Veremu (46), the recognition comes as the family continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of the accident.
Mr Veremu expressed gratitude to Dr Mnangagwa for recognising his wife’s bravery, saying the family had lost all its savings in the disaster.
“We are very grateful to the First Lady for showing this kindness to my wife and recognising what she did. It means a lot to our family, especially at this difficult time,” he said.
“We lost all our savings in the water when the accident happened, so this gesture has come at a time when we really need support.”
Mrs Chalibamba had travelled from Harare, where she had gone to sell fish, a business she has operated for years using the same ferry that ended up claiming scores of lives.
Mr Veremu, however, remains critical of the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
He blamed the boat captain for allegedly failing to heed warnings from the Meteorological Services Department about the weather conditions.
“The captain should have listened to the warnings from the Meteorological Services Department. We believe the accident could have been avoided if the warnings had been taken seriously,” he said.
For Chalibamba, the tragedy has left haunting memories.
She still remembers the cries of passengers and the bodies she saw floating in the lake, images that remain intertwined with the memory of those she managed to pull from danger.
Her courage has emerged as one of the few uplifting stories from a disaster that has left families across the country mourning their loved ones.
Minister Chombo also said there were reports that some survivors had been rescued by tourists who happened to be in the area when the ferry capsized.
She said plans were underway to replace the Mbuya Nehanda, with quotations having been sourced from private players to ply the route as Government works towards acquiring new vessels.
