Zimbabwe: MP Says Learners, Teachers Stranded in Rural Kariba Ahead of Schools Reopening

What the report says

Learners and teachers in Nyaminyami, a rural area of Kariba in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West province, are reported to be stranded just before schools reopen on 8 September 2026. The New Zimbabwe article distributed by AllAfrica says the disruption follows the sinking of the government-owned Mbuya Nehanda ferry on Lake Kariba last month, which had been the cheapest link between Kariba urban and communities such as Mola and Chalala.

With ferry access cut off, affected families now face a costly road detour via the Karoi-Siakobvu-Mola route. The report says many pupils and teachers had traveled to Mola for the holidays and cannot afford the alternative transport, leaving them unable to return in time for the start of term. Parents quoted in the piece argue that rural communities are being neglected and that the loss of the ferry has made safe school travel difficult.

Citizen Coalition for Change MP Mutsa Murombedzi is reported to have urged the government to provide an emergency shuttle for returning learners and teachers and to improve the Karoi-Binga road so more transport operators can use it safely. The article also notes that authorities had previously rejected a private operator’s proposal on safety grounds. Separately, presidential spokesperson George Charamba said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had ordered the government to seek boats and ferries for inland waterways, especially Kariba, and that a two-stage probe is under way. The piece says the timeline for relief remains unclear.