Kariba Boat Tragedy: Samanyanga Family Buries Mother and Son as Search for Two Children Continues

The Samanyanga family has buried Memory Chaka and her 11-month-old son, Lyell Samanyanga, who died in the Lake Kariba boat tragedy, as the search for two other family members continues.

Memory, wife of Correctional Officer Grade One Samanyanga Brave, who is stationed at Hurungwe Prison Farm, and baby Lyell were among those aboard a boat that capsized on Lake Kariba on 11 August 2026.

Their bodies were recovered from the lake, allowing the family to bury them while search and rescue efforts for the two missing children continue.

The eight-year-old son of Correctional Officer Grade One Samanyanga and his sibling’s 13-year-old son remain missing. Another family member was rescued alive following the accident.

The funeral was attended by family members, friends and colleagues, with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) Mashonaland West Province represented by Provincial Chaplain Superintendent Nanziwe Mtasa, Provincial Welfare Officer Principal Correctional Officer Titus Madhlagwai, and officers from Hurungwe Prison Farm and Kariba Prison.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Karonga Samanyanga described the deaths as a painful loss.

“This is a painful loss to the family. We have lost an asset,” said Karonga.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing to establish the whereabouts of the two missing children.