Online Reporter
Walter Nyamukondiwa in KARIBA
WITH over a month after the MV Rida Mbuya Nehanda tragedy claimed 97 lives, a new ferry has been launched on Lake Kariba.
It brings hope to lakeshore communities who have spent weeks cut off, grieving and improvising.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Ministry director Advocate Kingstone Magaya, who was representing Permanent Secretary Engineer Joey Makumbe, launched the MV Silverstone, operated by Most High Ferries.
The vessel will ply the Kariba-Chalala route once serviced by the ill-fated ferry. It is one of the first private-sector initiatives to fill the void left by the disaster of August 11, 2026.
Adv Magaya said the Government could not service the Lake alone and thanked the vessel’s proprietor, Mr Hillard Mangove, for coming through at the appropriate time.
“Imagine if we had other players, other than the RIDA ferry, which was plying that route. It means we were not going to face any difficulties or challenges, and a negative impact on the economy and the family chain as a whole,” he said.
He said liberalisation of transport routes, including inland waters, was now central to the Government’s policy priorities.
In his remarks, Lake Captain Mr Adan Nyekete said the launch came when the nation was still grappling with the impact of the accident.
He said the double-deck ferry sits on triple pontoons and measures 21.8 metres long and 5.9 metres wide. It can carry 60 passengers and four crew members, and will pass through Kings Camp Fishing Camp and Musambakaruma Fishing Camp.
“This ferry has been rigorously inspected, and it meets all regulatory standards,” he said.
Mr Nyekete urged the operators to put lives above profit.
“Avoid the temptation of overloading so that you make quick money at the detriment of your clients’ safety,” he said. He also reminded them that their permit restricts operations to between 6am and 6pm,” said the Lake Captain.
Silverstone Ferry director Mr Mangove said safety measures had been put in place to ensure safe travel for passengers and cargo.
All cargo will be weighed to ensure the vessel stays within its prescribed 18-tonne limit, which covers passengers and cargo.
The ferry will carry at least 120 lifejackets and floaters, almost double the 64 people it can carry. Two speedboats will also be tagged onto the main vessel.
Mr Mangove said the boat had been in the making for some time, but the disaster made the need urgent.
“After the disaster we realised that there was a dire need for transport to keep businesses running and also keep families connected. We had to go through the regulatory processes, and I am glad we are finally here,” he said.
Mr Mangove, who spent about 20 years in the United Kingdom, thanked Government and the President for giving young entrepreneurs like him the opportunity to fill the gap.
He said the vessel was tailored for the lake’s economy, including the carrying of ice blocks to keep fish cold on the way to markets and salt for drying and preserving kapenta.
For many on the lakeshore, the past month has been a struggle. Fish traders watched their catch spoil as supplies dwindled. Parents struggled to move children between Kariba rural and urban areas when schools opened.
“The past month has been difficult for us fish traders as supplies dwindled while fish went bad owing to lack of transport,” said Mrs Tendekai Siamusiya.
A resident said people had been forced to turn to kapenta rigs.
“We had to ask kapenta rig operators to carry a few people at a time. They had become the default transporters,” he said.
Fares are set per stopover. A trip to Kings Camp will cost US$8, with a further US$5 to Musambakaruma and another US$5 for the next stopover. A direct trip between Kariba and Chalala will cost US$15.
