Kariba and Binga residents sue Government over ferry crisis
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has filed an urgent High Court application to force the government to provide adequate, safe and reliable ferry services across Lake Kariba following the capsizing of the Mbuya Nehanda ferry last month.
The lawyers are assisting two people, Tonderai Ndevani from Kariba and Chilumbo Mudenda from Binga, who say communities on both sides of the lake have been left stranded and unable to reach their families since the vessel capsized in August 2026.
The urgent application was lodged with the High Court in Chinhoyi on 25 September 2026 by ZLHR lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Clara Phiri.
According to the ZLHR, the applications argue that the privately operated ferry introduced on 18 September cannot adequately meet demand, while the road alternative involves costly and lengthy journeys around the lake.
Lake Kariba is a critical transport link between Kariba and Binga, with the ferry service serving as a lifeline for families, traders, learners and patients who rely on it to cross the vast water body.
The application invokes Chapter 4 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which contains the Declaration of Rights. Specifically, it cites section 66(2)(a), which protects freedom of movement, and section 51, which protects human dignity. It also relies on section 44, which places an obligation on the State and its institutions to respect, protect, promote and fulfil fundamental rights.
ZLHR is asking the court to order the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency and the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to provide adequate ferries that meet statutory safety standards within one month of the court’s order.
The legal team is also seeking an order compelling the authorities to submit monthly progress reports to the court on steps taken to restore the service.
In addition, the application seeks a declaration that the failure to provide adequate ferry services violates the residents’ rights to freedom of movement and human dignity.
“Through this intervention, ZLHR is pursuing urgent relief for affected residents and court oversight of the authorities’ response, so that communities relying on Lake Kariba ferry services can travel safely, reliably and affordably,” the ZLHR said on Monday, 28 September.
If granted, the order will force Government to replace the capsized Mbuya Nehanda ferry and restore a public, regulated service that communities say is essential for daily life.
