By A Correspondent -Residents of Kariba and Binga have taken the Zimbabwean government to court, demanding urgent action to restore safe and dependable ferry services across Lake Kariba following the capsizing of the Mbuya Nehanda ferry last month.
The legal challenge was filed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), which is representing Tonderai Ndevani of Kariba and Chilumbo Mudenda of Binga.

The residents argue that the ferry disaster has disrupted a crucial transport link and left communities on opposite sides of the lake struggling to maintain contact with their families and access essential services.

The urgent High Court application was filed in Chinhoyi on 25 September 2026 by ZLHR lawyers Tinashe Chinopfukutwa and Clara Phiri.

According to the lawyers, the situation has not been adequately resolved despite the introduction of a privately operated ferry on 18 September.

They argue that the replacement service is incapable of handling the demand generated by communities that depend on the lake crossing.
For many residents, travelling by road is not a practical substitute. The alternative route requires motorists and passengers to make a lengthy journey around the lake, adding significant costs and travel time.

Lake Kariba’s ferry route is therefore more than a transport convenience. It is an important connection for families, traders, schoolchildren and patients who need to move between Kariba and Binga.

The court application accuses authorities of failing to adequately protect constitutional rights affected by the disruption. The applicants rely on provisions of Chapter 4 of the Constitution, including Section 66(2)(a), which provides for freedom of movement, and Section 51, which protects human dignity.

The application also invokes Section 44, which requires the State and its institutions to respect, protect, promote and fulfil fundamental rights and freedoms.

The residents are seeking an order compelling the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency and the Minister of Local Government and Public Works to ensure that adequate ferries meeting statutory safety requirements are provided within one month of the court order.

ZLHR is further seeking ongoing judicial oversight, with the authorities being required to submit monthly reports detailing progress towards restoring the ferry service.

The applicants also want the High Court to formally declare that the failure to provide adequate ferry services infringes residents’ constitutional rights to freedom of movement and human dignity.

ZLHR said the court action was prompted by the need to protect communities that have been left vulnerable following the ferry disaster.

“Through this intervention, ZLHR is pursuing urgent relief for affected residents and court oversight of the authorities’ response, so that communities relying on Lake Kariba ferry services can travel safely, reliably and affordably,” the lawyers said on Monday.

The case puts pressure on government to address what residents describe as an increasingly untenable transport situation following the loss of the Mbuya Nehanda.

If the court grants the requested relief, authorities would be required to take concrete steps towards replacing the capsized vessel and restoring a regulated ferry service capable of serving the communities that depend on Lake Kariba as a vital transport link.