HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday the capsizing of a boat on Lake Kariba that has killed at least 44 people had exposed “serious deficiencies” in the country’s maritime safety capabilities, as he declared the disaster a national tragedy.

The Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) boat capsized in rough conditions on Monday afternoon.

In an update at 1.30PM on Wednesday, police said 44 bodies had been recovered, while 67 people survived, 10 of whom remain hospitalised.

Mnangagwa, in a statement, thanked security forces and private citizens who assisted in the rescue, saying their swift response had prevented further loss of life “in the rough and choppy conditions which obtained on the lake on the day.”

“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,” Mnangagwa said.

He directed all agencies associated with maritime safety, “including, especially specialized units within our security forces, to take an active interest in ensuring remedial interventions in this area,” and declared the incident a National Disaster.

Mnangagwa said the government was working to account for all missing persons. He directed that survivors receive counselling from specialised health services.

“Let us, as a nation, unite in prayer for the souls of the departed, for the success of the ongoing search operations, speedy recovery of survivors and for comfort and strength for the bereaved families,” he said.

Police suggested the boat ​was overloaded when it went over during heavy winds on Lake Kariba. After initially stating that there were 95 onboard including 90 passengers and five crew, police now say whilst the carrying capacity of the boat was 90 excluding the crew, they now believe the boat had “120 people who were going to Chalala from Kariba.”

Still, some say the number could be higher.

Earnmore Chambati, a security officer who was on the boat, and the only member of the crew to survive, said there were 153 people onboard.

He said his job was “verifying if people have payed to be on the boat, whether they have receipts and also securing the money paid.”

“The people I counted, including children, were 153,” he told the ZBC.

Survivors have recounted stories of how they begged the captain not to sail after noticing violent waves, but he shut them down by declaring “DDF does not drown,” referring to the District Development Fund, the forerunner to RIDA, which owned the boat named Mbuya Nehanda.