By Desire Tshuma
Harare — The Government has launched a formal inquiry into Zimbabwe’s deadliest ferry disaster, which claimed 97 lives on Lake Kariba.
Investigators will now establish how the RIDA-operated Mbuya Nehanda vessel capsized despite being authorised to carry a maximum of 90 passengers. Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Advocate Felix Mhona, has appointed a three-member Board of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the August 11, 2026 tragedy, which has raised serious questions about passenger safety, vessel capacity and compliance with inland water transport regulations.
“We are saddened as a nation, we are mourning our beloved ones who perished on this lake,” said Minister Mhona. “Government will investigate what happened, but at this moment we must allow families to mourn and focus on bringing closure to those who have lost their loved ones.”
The Mbuya Nehanda ferry was travelling from Andora Harbour in Kariba towards Chalala fishing camps when it capsized near Long Island. Preliminary government findings indicated that the vessel was carrying far more passengers than its authorised capacity, alongside cargo, when it encountered strong waves in adverse weather conditions. Seventy-seven people survived, while 97 bodies were subsequently recovered during an extensive search and rescue operation. The disaster left families mourning their loved ones and intensified calls for accountability and stronger safety enforcement.
The inquiry, established in terms of the Inland Waters Shipping Act [Chapter 13:06] following approval by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will examine the causes of the disaster and determine whether safety requirements and operational procedures were followed before the ferry set sail. Justice J.M. Mafusire will chair the three-member panel, with Commissioner Dr W. Makamache and Advocate P. Musarurwa serving as members. The board will investigate the vessel’s registration and certification, seaworthiness, passenger and cargo limits, operating procedures and the broader regulatory systems governing inland water transport.
Its findings are expected to inform possible policy and legislative reforms, with particular attention to strengthening safety oversight and preventing a recurrence of the tragedy. The inquiry comes amid growing scrutiny of the circumstances under which the ferry was cleared to operate, particularly allegations of overloading and questions about whether prevailing weather conditions posed an unacceptable risk to passengers.
The board has been given three months to complete its work, with a possible extension of one month. Hearings will be held in Kariba. The outcome is expected to provide answers to grieving families and the wider public while helping authorities identify any failures that contributed to the loss of life. The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has reiterated its commitment to improving safety standards across Zimbabwe’s inland waterways.