The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says the recent tragic ferry disaster on Lake Kariba raises serious questions about safety standards, regulatory compliance, emergency preparedness and the adequacy of oversight mechanisms in Zimbabwe.
This comes after police confirmed that 46 people had died and 67 survivors had been rescued by 13 August 2026, with the search and recovery operation continuing.
The vessel, a State-owned ferry known as the Mbuya Nehanda and operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), capsized on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, while travelling from Kariba towards Chalala.
“This tragedy is all the more distressing because it was avoidable. The loss of so many lives in circumstances involving public transport raises serious questions about safety standards, regulatory compliance, emergency preparedness and the adequacy of oversight mechanisms in Zimbabwe,” the ZLHR said.
The organisation cited constitutional obligations, noting that Section 48 of the Constitution guarantees everyone the right to life and Section 44 places a duty on the State and on every person, institution and agency of government to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights and freedoms set out in the Declaration of Rights.
“Among the founding values and principles, Section 3(2)(g) binds the State and all its institutions and agencies to establish principles of accountability, transparency and responsiveness in the exercise of their functions,” the ZLHR said.
“These constitutional obligations demand more than expressions of condolence. They require the responsible authorities to establish the truth, identify the failures that led to this disaster, determine responsibility and take effective measures to prevent a recurrence.”
The ZLHR has demanded a prompt, thorough, independent and transparent probe into the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
“The investigation should establish what caused the vessel to capsize; whether it was properly licensed, inspected and certified to operate; whether applicable safety regulations and passenger-capacity limits were complied with; whether the ferry operator, regulators, public officials or other responsible institutions failed in their duties; and whether any criminal, civil or regulatory liability arises,” the organisation said.
It said the findings of the probe must be made public, and all individuals and agencies found responsible for negligence, misconduct, regulatory failure or other wrongdoing must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
“This tragedy must not be reduced to a statistic or allowed to fade from public attention without meaningful action. Any probe must result in concrete reforms that strengthen maritime safety, regulatory oversight, emergency preparedness and enforcement, so that no community loses its people to a preventable disaster again,” the ZLHR said.
“The probe and quest for accountability must extend beyond the immediate operator of the ferry. Where the evidence establishes that regulatory authorities or public institutions failed to properly discharge their constitutional and statutory duties, those failures must be investigated and addressed with equal seriousness.”
The organisation added that the bereaved families, survivors and the public have a right to know what happened.
“They are entitled to timely and accurate information, to expect that those responsible will answer for their acts and omissions, and to access appropriate remedies and avenues of justice. Survivors must receive the assistance and support they need, and the identification and recovery of the victims must be carried out with dignity and respect,” the ZLHR said.
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