Ramaphosa mourns victims of Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba ferry disaster

President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his deepest condolences to Zimbabwe following the tragic sinking of a ferry on Lake Kariba, which resulted in the loss of 44 lives. The South African leader pledged his country's solidarity with the grieving families and survivors, as search operations continue to locate any missing individuals.

The ferry, operated by the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA), was carrying 114 adult passengers, five crew members, and an unspecified number of children when it capsized. Initially, the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) reported that 77 people were rescued and 15 bodies were recovered, but later updated the death toll to 44.

South African officials expressed their sympathies to the families of the victims, wishing the survivors a speedy recovery, and paying tribute to the emergency services working tirelessly to support affected families and communities. The accident is one of the worst recorded passenger boat disasters on Lake Kariba, which serves as a border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is the largest man-made lake by volume in the world.