Safety
Zimbabwe board of inquiry opens probe into Lake Kariba ferry capsizing that killed 97
A three-member board led by Supreme Court Justice Joseph Mafusire has begun investigating the 11 August capsizing of the ferry Mbuya Nehanda on Lake Kariba, examining loading, crewing, seaworthiness, clearance to sail and regulatory oversight.
Source: Baird Maritime (opens in a new tab)
A board of inquiry has started investigating the capsizing of the passenger ferry Mbuya Nehanda on Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe, on 11 August 2026, in which 97 people died.
The three-member board is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Joseph Mafusire and will hold hearings in Kariba. It is expected to finish within three months, with a possible one-month extension, and will report in writing to Transport Minister Felix Mhona.
Its remit covers how the ferry was loaded, operated and cleared to sail; its registration, certification, seaworthiness and safety compliance; its passenger and cargo capacity; the number and competence of the crew; and the role of the authorities overseeing inland water transport. The board will also compare the passenger manifest with the number of people actually on board.
The number aboard is still not settled. Mhona said more than 160 people were on board, with 67 survivors and more than 95 deaths recorded. The vessel's stated capacity was 90 passengers and five crew.
Mbuya Nehanda was operated by the Kariba Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA). A RIDA district coordinator was arrested in August and charged with culpable homicide.