Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a state of national disaster after a ferry capsized on Lake Kariba, killing at least 44 people. The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, when the Mbuya Nehanda, a boat operated by the government’s Rural Infrastructure Development Agency, overturned near Long Island while traveling from the town of Kariba to Chalala, hit by strong waves in bad weather. Built to carry 90 passengers, the vessel was carrying far more than that: authorities say at least 114 adults and 5 crew members were aboard, not counting an unknown number of children traveling without tickets, while the only surviving crew member says he counted as many as 153 people on board at departure.
Survivor accounts gathered since paint a damning picture. Several passengers say strong winds were already battering the lake before the boat even left port, that a box holding a battery and an inverter fell into the water during preparations, and that water was already seeping into the vessel while it was still docked. Despite those warning signs, the captain allegedly ignored passengers’ pleas to turn back or seek shelter on a nearby island. One survivor, Itai Marumisa, says he responded to their concerns with nothing more than a prayer, while another, Friday Munenga, says he justified pushing on by claiming he had navigated the lake for « many years. » According to witnesses, the captain even told passengers that « DDF does not drown, » a reference to the agency’s former name. One passenger, Mrs. Magadaire, placed a string of distress calls to nearby lodges and parks until the boat finally went under.
The rescue operation drew on the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s sub aqua unit, the national army’s boat squadron, a helicopter from Matusadona National Park, and local divers. Seventy seven people were pulled from the water alive, while the confirmed death toll climbed to 44, with search teams continuing to look for anyone still unaccounted for.
Faced with the scale of the tragedy, President Mnangagwa publicly acknowledged « serious deficiencies » in the country’s maritime capabilities, saying « this tragedy has exposed serious deficiencies in our maritime capabilities which we have to address immediately so that our places of recreation do not become death traps to the innocent. » He ordered the relevant authorities, including specialized security units, to implement corrective measures without delay. Among the failures identified were chronic overloading of vessels, weak boat registration and inspection systems, an inadequate supply of life jackets, limited emergency response resources, and gaps in both weather related decision making and oversight of navigation.