Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
SUPREME COURT judge Justice Joseph Mafusire will lead a four-member board of inquiry into the Kariba ferry disaster that claimed 97 lives on August 11, with the investigation set to focus on how the vessel was loaded, operated and cleared to sail before it capsized on Lake Kariba.
Dr Wiklef Makamache and Ms Patronella Musarurwa are the other members, while Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development Engineer Joy Makumbe will serve as secretary to the inquiry.
Minister Felix Mhona appointed the board through a Government Gazette published on Friday in terms of the Inland Waters Shipping Act.
The inquiry, which will run for three months with a provision for a one-month extension, will examine the vessel’s worthiness, passenger and cargo capacity, crew competence, safety compliance and the actions of the authorities responsible for regulating inland water transport.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency vessel may have been overloaded.
“The inquiry may be held either in public or privately, as the exigencies of the inquiry may determine. The board shall avail a report at the conclusion of the inquiry,” reads the notice.
The board’s terms of reference require it to establish the nature, circumstances and causes of the disaster and examine the vessel’s registration, certification, fitness and compliance with safety requirements.
It will also investigate the suitability, certification and competence of those involved in the procurement, ownership, operation, control and navigation of the vessel.
The inquiry will examine the broader inland water transport chain, including weather controls, security certification, vessel operations, navigation and regulatory oversight.
Further, investigators will determine whether the correct procedures were followed before, during and after the voyage, particularly those relating to safety, normal vessel operations and search-and-rescue efforts.
A key area of investigation will be the vessel’s loading.
The board has been tasked with establishing the amount of cargo and number of people on board, including the number and adequacy of crew members, and determining whether the vessel complied with prescribed limits on cargo and passengers.
It will also establish the exact number of people who were aboard when the vessel capsized.
Wider safety review
Beyond the immediate circumstances of the disaster, the inquiry will examine whether the country’s existing systems for regulating inland water transport are adequate.
In addition, the board will investigate structural, institutional, administrative and legislative frameworks governing inland shipping and make recommendations to the Government on any reforms required.
It has been empowered to conduct site visits, summon witnesses, record proceedings and testimonies, and gather and assess information relevant to the inquiry before submitting its findings and recommendations to the minister.
Cabinet approved the establishment of the board last month as the Government moved to formally investigate the disaster and provide answers to bereaved families.
President Mnangagwa declared the accident a State of Disaster in terms of Section 27(1) of the Civil Protection Act and directed relevant authorities to provide affected families with funeral services, medical assistance and psycho-social support.
The inquiry is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the loss of 97 lives while identifying gaps in the regulation and operation of inland water vessels to help prevent a recurrence.
