By Tichaona Katsvamutima
The government is seeking the swift burial of the 44 victims of Tuesday’s Lake Kariba ferry disaster, with authorities citing limited mortuary space in Kariba as the main reason for expediting the burial process while the search for missing passengers continues.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Daniel Garwe said the decision was made after consultations with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, amid concerns that the Kariba mortuary does not have sufficient capacity to accommodate recovered bodies for an extended period.
Speaking at a memorial service in Kariba, Garwe said authorities had to balance the ongoing search and recovery operation with the need to ensure that recovered victims were accorded a dignified burial.
“I met the President and we discussed the issue of the mortuary. The mortuary here in Kariba is small and cannot continue holding bodies while the search and recovery operation is going on,” Garwe said.
He said the limited mortuary capacity was also the reason the memorial service was being held before the conclusion of the search and recovery operation.
“That is why we are having this memorial service now, even though the search and recovery is still ongoing,” he said.
Garwe said the government wanted the burial process to begin as soon as possible for victims whose remains had been recovered and identified, while search teams continued efforts to locate those still missing.
The memorial service brought together government officials, bereaved families, friends and community members to honour the victims as search and recovery teams continued working on Lake Kariba.
The disaster has raised questions over the number of people aboard the ferry, safety measures and the circumstances surrounding the sinking.
Garwe said the government remained committed to supporting affected families while ensuring that the circumstances surrounding the tragedy were fully investigated.
He announced that government would conduct a full-scale investigation into the disaster and prepare a technical report for Cabinet.
“We need a full-scale investigation into what happened here and we need a technical report,” Garwe said.
The minister said the technical report would be presented to Cabinet next Tuesday and would help establish the circumstances surrounding the disaster and identify measures needed to prevent similar tragedies in future.
The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the sinking of the ferry, including the number of passengers on board, safety procedures and other factors surrounding the tragedy.
