Minister Mhona defends Kariba ferry use

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona has rejected suggestions that passengers used the Mbuya Nehanda ferry simply because they had no alternative, saying the significantly shorter distance made the lake route the preferred option.

Speaking in Parliament, Mhona said residents travelling between Kariba town and Chalala could cover about 80 kilometres by lake, compared with road routes stretching approximately 313 kilometres and 437 kilometres.

He said the shorter journey was a major reason residents relied on the ferry even before the August 11 disaster, rather than simply being a consequence of a lack of transport alternatives.

Mhona, however, acknowledged the poor condition of the road network in the area, which makes overland travel longer and more difficult for communities living around Lake Kariba.

He urged parliamentarians to advocate for increased funding to rehabilitate the roads, saying improved road infrastructure would provide communities with safer and more reliable alternatives.

The Mbuya Nehanda ferry disaster has intensified scrutiny of transport infrastructure serving remote communities around Lake Kariba, with calls for authorities to address both maritime safety and the poor state of roads connecting isolated areas.