Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa and Freeman Razemba
A PRIVATE boat operator’s bid to fill the gap on Lake Kariba left by the MV Rida Mbuya Nehanda ferry which capsized on August 11, killing 97 people, has hit a snag after the vessel failed its first safety inspection on Friday.
Authorities flagged structural and safety issues that must be corrected before a licence can be issued.
The operator applied for a permit last week to ply the Kariba-Chalala route, prompting the inspection. Inland Waters director, Captain Lameck Chitenga, confirmed the vessel had not yet met the required standards.
“What I can say for now is that we conducted an inspection of the vessel and there were several safety-related and structural issues that needed to be addressed,” said Captain Chitenga.
“Once the issues raised are addressed, we will conduct a second inspection, which will then lead to the issuing of a temporary permit once all regulatory issues are complied with.”
The operator has since submitted registration papers to Government for approval, and news of the prospective boat has raised hopes among communities around Lake Kariba who have been without a ferry service since the accident. overnment recently engaged boat operators and other private concerns to explore deploying another vessel on the lake following the tragedy, in which 97 bodies have so far been recovered.
The capsized ferry, which was carrying passengers and goods, flipped over after being struck by strong waves.
President Mnangagwa has declared the accident a State of Disaster, enabling Government to mobilise disaster response structures, including funeral services and medical and psycho-social support for affected families.
Formal investigations are underway, with authorities examining key operational and compliance issues.
Speaking last week, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Advocate Felix Mhona, said Government had engaged operators and private concerns in Kariba to find a lasting solution.
“What we have said again is that our President, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, is always talking about private sector participation, and this is what we have appealed to the people of Kariba to say let’s put our heads together,” he said.
“As Government, we will play our part, but also as the private sector, they have been doing this business. So they must come up with the solution, and we will make sure that in terms of registration it’s easier. But in terms of safety we enhance safety issues. Then we have a boat to ply that route.”
Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo appealed for the urgent release of a boat to service the route, saying even a smaller vessel would restore a critical lifeline for residents.
“Even if it’s a smaller boat, because you know it’s only 80km and it links the residents of rural or urban Kariba to their life, which is fishing,” she said.
“You know there are a lot of islands along the lake where they would go and buy or do their fishing,” she said.
Minister Chombo said that while restoring the route would help, it would not on its own resolve the broader challenges facing lake communities, and said her office stood ready to support any Government initiative to improve access to services.
