By Sharon Tawuya
Harare, (New Ziana) – Binga South Member of Parliament, Fanuel Cumanzala on Tuesday raised a point of national interest in Parliament calling for an independent investigation into the Kariba ferry disaster on Lake Kariba that has claimed nearly 100 lives.
The tragedy unfolded on August 11 when the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency-operated Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized while travelling from Kariba towards Chalala and surrounding fishing communities.
The vessel was operating on an important transport route for communities around Lake Kariba, where poor road infrastructure and limited conventional public transport make water transport an essential lifeline.
Raising a point of interest in the National Assembly, Cumanzala said that an inquest into the disaster must be opened.
“As of today, the death toll has risen to 92 people with recovery operations continuing. Survivors reported that passengers pleaded with the captain to make a U-turn after water started flowing into the vessel. These allegations must be investigated,” he said.
In reaction, Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, directed the House to observe a minute of silence for the victims.
Cumanzala described the tragedy as “rooted in decades of neglect and inadequate infrastructure and marginalisation of Zambezi Valley communities.”
He said poor road links to Siakobvu, Mola and Chalala have left residents with no option but unsafe water transport.
“Water transport is not the problem, but the problem is its use as the only viable option. No community in independent Zimbabwe should be forced into dangerous transport,” he said.
Cumanzala noted that Lake Kariba displaced about 57,000 Tonga people in the 1950s, and “nearly 70 years later, they remain without the infrastructure that should have followed them.”
Cumanzala urged the government to launch an independent investigation into the disaster, preferably with Parliament’s involvement, and to immediately suspend unsafe vessels pending a full audit. He said authorities must also clarify the actual number of passengers on board, as well as the vessel’s certification and maintenance records.
He further called for the procurement of modern, safe ferries for Lake Kariba and the development of a Zambezi Valley transport corridor linking Mbire, Kariba, Siakobvu, Binga and beyond to reduce reliance on water transport.
The MP also proposed the establishment of a permanent Lake Kariba Emergency Response System to deal with future accidents.
“Mr. Speaker Sir, the people of the Zambezi Valley want justice, safety, inclusion, roads, safe transport and equal development. Let this be the last tragedy born out of neglect,” Cumanzala said.
Preliminary investigations are pointing to overloading of the ferry, poor condition of the boat, and harsh windy weather, for the Kariba tragedy.
The vessel was authorised to carry 90 passengers, but reports have indicated that substantially more people were aboard. Earlier accounts put the number of passengers and crew as high as 153, while the latest figures – 92 dead and 77 rescued – indicate that at least 169 people may have been aboard if those figures are combined. The exact passenger count remains a subject of investigation.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the accident a national disaster, while government agencies mobilized resources for rescue, recovery, identification of victims and assistance to bereaved families.
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