Garwe defends 41 year old Nehanda, blames Captain for disaster

GOVERNMENT has blamed Mbuya Nehanda ferry captain Sign Patsikadova for the Kariba disaster that has so far claimed 94 lives.

Speaking at Tuesday's post-Cabinet briefing, Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe said Patsikadova disregarded advice from the Meteorological Department to suspend sailing because of dangerous weather conditions.

The Mbuya Nehanda, a 90-seater vessel owned by Government through the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), capsized on August 11 while carrying more than 180 people, according to authorities. The passengers were travelling with luggage that included goats, drums of fuel and other materials destined for fishing communities in Binga.

"We are advised that the Meteorological Department advised sailors to stop all sailing on the fateful day because there were some strong waves developing on the Binga side," Garwe said.

"The boat captain for this specific boat disregarded those early warning messages and proceeded with the journey."

Garwe said the vessel was also carrying more passengers than its certified capacity.

"We are advised the carrying capacity of that boat was about 90 but on the basis of what we have; 93 dead and 77 rescued and seven families saying their relatives are yet to be identified, it was carrying over 100 people which is against laid down rules and regulations by the Transport Ministry," he said.

Garwe spoke before police announced the recovery of another body, bringing the reported death toll to 94.

Government has since commenced formal investigations into the disaster, including an examination of the structural remains of the vessel.

Addressing concerns over the 41-year-old ferry, Garwe said the Mbuya Nehanda had been certified fit by the Ministry of Transport, rejecting suggestions that the vessel's age or condition was responsible for the tragedy.

"The boat had a fitness certificate, it was certified by the Transport Ministry. The problems that occurred were as a result of negligence and human error by the captain of the boat," Garwe said.

The Government's account places responsibility for the disaster primarily on the captain's alleged failure to heed weather warnings and comply with the vessel's passenger capacity.

The Kariba disaster, which occurred on August 11, has been declared a national disaster and is among Zimbabwe's deadliest accidents.

It has drawn comparisons with the Kamandama Mine disaster at Hwange on June 6, 1972, when an underground methane gas explosion trapped and killed 427 miners, making it one of the worst disasters in the country's history.