By Desire Tshuma
Harare– Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Minister Hon. Tino Machakaire has publicly commended sub-aqua diver Victor “Coach Rambo” Kazembe for his courage during the Budiriro sewer rescue, and said he will appeal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to reward the diver with land and cattle.
In a statement posted online, Machakaire said he missed the incident because he was attending Cabinet, but praised Kazembe’s “extraordinary courage and selfless service.”
“In a moment of great tragedy, he displayed the strength of a lion and the heart of a servant, risking his own life to bring dignity to the deceased and closure to grieving families,” Machakaire wrote.
Kazembe made headlines over the weekend after descending into a sludge-filled trench in Budiriro to recover bodies. He went in expecting to retrieve one victim, but emerged with three, including a woman who had reportedly gone missing a day earlier. Standard dive protocols advise against entering mud because oxygen systems can fail, but Kazembe proceeded using an emergency tank.
Machakaire said Kazembe’s actions reflect the values Zimbabwe needs as it pursues food security and sustainable development.
“Men like Coach Rambo place the welfare of others before personal gain, and those are the values that build a strong nation,” the Minister said.
He added that he will “humbly appeal” to President Mnangagwa to consider recognising Kazembe, suggesting a piece of land and a few cattle as “a fitting gesture of appreciation” for someone who has shown that service to others is the highest form of leadership.
The Budiriro incident has reignited debate over the safety of open municipal excavations, with residents saying the trench had been left unguarded for months.