Antony Chawagarira
KARIBA—The Zimbabwe Republic Police have uncovered a series of alleged procedural breaches and possible revenue irregularities as they investigate how the Mbuya Nehanda boat ended up carrying more passengers than were recorded on its manifest.
Police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigators had established that some required procedures and protocols were not followed when the ferry departed on August 11.
The investigation is now focusing on passenger monitoring, ticketing, loading procedures, and the accountability of revenue collected from passengers.
Commissioner Nyathi said the passenger manifest handed to the late captain indicated that 120 people were aboard, comprising 108 adults and 12 children.
However, investigations suggest that the actual number of passengers could have exceeded 150. This discrepancy has raised questions about how passengers were recorded and whether everyone who boarded the ferry was properly accounted for.
The disaster claimed 97 lives, while 77 people survived, according to figures provided by the police.
Investigators have also established that the vessel was overloaded by more than 30 tonnes, with excess luggage contributing significantly to the excess weight.
Police are now examining whether the overloading was linked to failures in passenger and cargo monitoring.
Commissioner Nyathi said investigators had also uncovered discrepancies involving revenue declared by the crew, opening a possible corruption angle.
“The crew declared 120 passengers, while police investigations indicate that more than 150 people may have been aboard,” he said.
“We therefore want to establish where the revenue from the additional passengers went.” The inquiry is expected to examine ticketing records, passenger manifests, revenue declarations, and other available documentation to determine how many people actually boarded the vessel and whether the money collected from additional passengers was properly recorded.
The death of the captain has presented investigators with another challenge, as he would have been a key witness in determining what transpired during the loading process.
“Unfortunately, the captain is deceased, and his testimony would have assisted us greatly in the investigation,” Commissioner Nyathi said.
Police, however, said investigations would continue using other available evidence.
The probe will also seek to establish who was responsible for monitoring passenger numbers, who handled ticketing, and whether the vessel was knowingly allowed to depart while exceeding its permissible load.
“As the police, we will get to the bottom of this matter and ensure that our findings are made public,” Commissioner Nyathi said.
The latest findings add a new dimension to the investigations into the Kariba tragedy, with authorities now seeking not only to establish the immediate causes of the capsizing, but also whether negligence, failure to follow procedures, or financial misconduct contributed to the loss of life.
