Mnangagwa orders replacement ferry for ill- fated Mbuya Nehanda boat, rehabilitation of abandoned road
Government has pledged to replace the passenger ferry involved in Tuesday’s Lake Kariba disaster and urgently rehabilitate the impassable road linking Kariba, Siakobvu and Chalala, but the commitments have come only after dozens of people lost their lives.
Speaking at a memorial service for the victims at Nyamhunga Stadium Thursday, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had directed authorities to find a passenger ferry to replace the ill-fated boat owned and operated by the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA), and urgently fix the impassible Binga road that links communities around the iconic water body.
“The ferry which capsized served as a vital mode of transport for businessmen and individuals, travelling from Kariba to areas such as Chalala and all those who were benefitting from its service. The President has said don’t be heartbroken or get worried over how you will travel now that the reliable boat has sunk. As a caring leader, and in the spirit of leaving noone and no place behind in terms of assistance and development, he has pledged to find a replacement vessel so that businesses and livelihoods continue.
“He also said he will send Transport minister (Felix Mhona) to urgently fix the impassible road. We received the complaints over the same road earlier. So, these will be attended to so that movement is improved,” said Garwe.
The pledges are likely to be welcomed by affected communities, but they have also raised questions over why action was not taken earlier, given the long-standing transport challenges on the lake and the poor state of the road linking the communities.
The disaster has exposed the vulnerability of communities that depend on Lake Kariba for passenger transport, while the impassable road has further limited alternative access between Kariba. Siakobvu and Chalala.
The rehabilitation of the Karoi-Binga road has been on the cards for years. The project is jointly funded through government and private sector partnerships. Historic delays, severe weather damage, and recent tragic lake accidents on Lake Kariba have amplified calls to urgently upgrade the Zambezi Valley’s transport network.
The first phase of the project was undertaken but later abandoned, with initial stretches from Magunje covering Chivakanenyama to Zvipani. The secondary phases targeting additional multi-kilometre blocks to link isolated communities like Chalala, Mola, and Siakobvu have, however, remained a pipe dream after contractors, who had camped on various sites, removed their equipment over undisclosed issues. *_-NewZimbabwe_*
