Ramaphosa offers condolences after Lake Kariba ferry disaster in Zimbabwe

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended condolences to Zimbabwe following a ferry disaster on Lake Kariba that left 44 people dead, the South African Presidency said as search operations continued.

What happened

The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) vessel, which ferries people between the northern town of Kariba and several islands and fishing villages, capsized on Lake Kariba. The Civil Protection Unit (CPU) said the ferry was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members and an unspecified number of children when it went down. The CPU said the vessel had a capacity of 90 people.

Casualties and rescue effort

The CPU initially reported that 77 people were rescued and 15 bodies were retrieved. The Zimbabwe Republic Police later updated the toll on X, saying: “The ZRP informs the public that the death toll in the Kariba RIDA boat accident is now 44.”

Two funeral parlours were engaged to collect the bodies while search operations continued for any unaccounted-for people.

Ramaphosa’s response

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the president had offered his sympathies to the families of the 44 people who died and that the president’s thoughts were also with survivors and families awaiting the outcome of continuing search operations.

“As South Africans, we stand in solidarity today with the nation of Zimbabwe as we mourn this extensive loss of life. We wish survivors a speedy recovery, and we pay tribute to the emergency services who are working tirelessly to support and bring closure to affected families and communities.”

Context

The incident is described as one of the worst recorded passenger boat disasters on Lake Kariba. The lake, which is on the border with Zambia, is more than 300 kilometres northeast of Harare and is the world’s largest man-made lake by volume, according to AFP.