Kariba ferry tragedy exposes safety failures

by MARCUS MUSHONGA
HARARE, (CAJ News) – THE Lake Kariba ferry disaster has deepened into Zimbabwe’s deadliest recorded accident, with the death toll rising to 92 as questions mount over warnings that the government-owned vessel was unsafe and required repairs.

Police reported the latest toll on 17 August, while Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the Government would launch a full investigation under the Inland Waters Shipping Act.

The probe will examine maritime safety standards, regulatory compliance and other factors that may have contributed to the tragedy.

Mhona said the Government had also engaged boat operators and private-sector players in Kariba to find a replacement vessel for the route, which is vital to communities dependent on fishing and trade.

“What we have said again is that our President, Cde Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa is always talking about private sector participation,” Mhona said, urging operators and Government to “put our heads together”.

He pledged that authorities would facilitate registration while enhancing safety requirements, adding: “Government remains committed to strengthening safety measures and protecting all who depend on our waterways.”

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo, meanwhile, called for the immediate deployment of another boat, saying even a smaller vessel could help reconnect communities along the 80-kilometre route.

The disaster has, however, triggered sharp criticism from journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin’ono, who said on X that the tragedy was “an avoidable disaster”.

He alleged that the ferry had previously been identified as needing repairs costing about US$40,000, and claimed experts had advised that, given its condition, it should carry no more than 45 passengers.

According to Chin’ono, more than 160 people may have been aboard, based on the number of deaths and survivors.

He argued that the combination of overloading, inadequate maintenance and failure to act on warnings transformed an accident into “a preventable national catastrophe”.

Chin’ono also criticised the absence of senior political leaders at the disaster site, arguing that a tragedy of such magnitude demanded visible and accountable leadership.

His comments underscore the central questions facing investigators: whether safety warnings were ignored, whether the vessel was overloaded, and whether regulatory safeguards were properly enforced.

For grieving families, however, the immediate priority remains recovery and support.

Chombo said communities needed a functioning connection across the lake, while Mhona urged Zimbabweans to remain focused on mourning the victims as investigations proceed.

The tragedy now presents Government with a test extending beyond accountability: whether it can restore confidence in the safety of Zimbabwe’s public waterways before another preventable disaster occurs.

– CAJ News