Former minister Mzembi says Mbuya Nehanda boat was a disaster waiting to happen and demands full public inquiry
Former Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi has called for a thorough investigation into the Lake Kariba boat disaster, saying Government should work with an unofficial figure of 153 people on board rather than the official figure of 119 to recover all bodies presumed dead.
The government-owned Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, while en route from Kariba to Chalala, killing 46 people according to official figures.
Mzembi said a security guard employed by RIDA had put the number of people on board at 153, while Government was going by 119.
“A security guard employed by RIDA is saying there were 153 people on board; the official figure Government is going by is 119. Now those familiar with the conduct of ‘conductors’ on buses and their complicit drivers and loaders will tell you there are official and unofficial counts of people who are reported on board. The difference between the two belongs to the crew; the exposure only happens when there is an incident or accident,” Mzembi said.
He said Government should work with the unofficial figure of 153 in the emergency to recover all bodies presumed dead by now, adding that the rot may trace itself right to head office.
“The rot may trace itself right to head office, hence the need for a thorough investigation or inquiry,” he said.
Mzembi also questioned why the RIDA ferry, which he described as inappropriately named Mbuya Nehanda, was licensed to operate on Kariba waters in the first place.
“A RIDA ferry boat [State boat] inappropriately named ‘Mbuya Nehanda’ should not have been licensed to operate on Kariba waters in the first place. It visibly looks old and ill-equipped for regular public transport and commuting. Video footage of how it would be overloaded on undated missions is viral on social media,” he said.
He said it was a sad way to remember the heroine of the First Chimurenga by recklessly overloading the unfit-for-purpose ferry on the Heroes and Defence Forces holiday, marring what would otherwise have been a fully subscribed and successful holiday weekend.
The former minister said Zimbabweans were acquainted with road accidents and not marine accidents, and that the road toll itself had not been easy.
“Marine accidents such as these are rife along the Congo River, and we read a lot about them. The Congo is a natural river, but Kariba is man-made, and should be made safer decades after construction for displaced families who toil daily in cross-water trade activities similar to cross-border terrestrial SME trade for survival,” he said.
“Disasters, natural and human-made, have higher death tolls and impacts than wars themselves and their mitigation, preparedness, prevention and monitoring should be of the highest priority and standard.”
Mzembi said the tragedy should be a wake-up call to inspectorates across Government agencies to ramp up their act, especially with regard to exemptions normally accorded to State assets, including unregistered vehicles.
“On the day of the accident, Government is left exposed by this impunity. Laws and regulations should be stricter, starting with Government itself, and this tragedy calls for an all-encompassing investigation or enquiry to prevent future accidents and secure our large water bodies and our people’s safety,” he said. *_-Pindula_*
