By Naledi Nyoni
HARARE — Zimbabwe’s darkest transport tragedy has claimed 95 lives, with the death toll continuing to rise nine days after the Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on Lake Kariba.
A formal investigation is now probing how about 180 people and goods came to be aboard the vessel, after government initially said 119 people were on board.
Police said Wednesday that 10 more victims had been identified, bringing the number of victims identified by their next of kin to 93.
Two others remain unidentified.
“The death toll has risen to 95,” national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said in a Wednesday statement.
Government has now revised its estimate of the number of people aboard the Mbuya Nehanda when it capsized near Long Island on August 11 to about 180 passengers and goods.
That figure is significantly higher than its initial position that 114 adults and five crew members were aboard, with the number of children unknown.
Acting information minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Tuesday said investigations indicated that the RIDA-operated ferry was carrying passengers and goods beyond its capacity when it capsized in rough conditions.
“The nation is advised that preliminary investigations indicate that the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA)’s Mbuya Nehanda ferry which capsized on Lake Kariba on 11 August, 2026 was ferrying about 180 passengers and goods, thus exceeding its carrying capacity.
“The vessel reportedly capsized after being struck by strong waves.
“Government notes that the Meteorological Services Department had issued an early warning advising all lake users against sailing,” Mutsvangwa said at a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday.
Government said 77 people were rescued alive, while 92 bodies had been recovered by August 16.
Seven people confirmed by relatives to have been aboard were still missing at that stage.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi later said the death toll had risen to 94 before the latest update on Wednesday took it to 95.
Search teams have continued working to locate missing people and recover bodies.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the ferry had a valid certificate of fitness issued through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, but attributed the disaster to negligence and human error by the captain.
“The boat had a fitness certificate, it was certified through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development.
“The problems that occurred were as a result of negligence and human error by the captain of the boat.
“It had nothing to do with whether the boat was not fit or was fit,” Garwe said.
At 95 deaths, the disaster has surpassed the 89 people killed in the 1991 Nyanga bus crash, previously regarded as Zimbabwe’s deadliest transport disaster.
For families still waiting for loved ones to come home, the rising toll represents another funeral and another household plunged into grief.
Mbuya Nehanda was a vital link between Kariba town and remote communities around the lake, where poor roads and limited alternative transport leave many residents dependent on water transport.
Lake Kariba stretches for more than 200 kilometres along the Zambezi and forms part of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Its waters sustain fishing and lakeside communities but can become treacherous when strong winds whip across the lake.
Recovery teams were still searching for missing people as authorities sought answers over how the ferry was allowed to sail with such a passenger and cargo load.
The disaster has also raised broader questions about the regulation and oversight of passenger vessels on Lake Kariba, particularly those serving isolated communities.
Government has urged all lake users to remain vigilant and immediately report any floating objects as recovery operations continue.
