A Mother’s Tragic End: Elephant Tramples Kariba Woman In Front Of Her Children

Mother Trampled By Elephant In Front Of Her Children

The Kariba community is reeling in shock and grief after a local hospital worker, Gloria Konde, was tragically trampled to death by an elephant while walking to church with her three children. The horrific incident occurred on the morning of Sunday, November 9, 2025, in the Heights suburb of the resort town, unfolding in plain sight of her young family.

According to the initial report from Mashonaland West Member of Parliament Mutsa Murombedzi, the attack was swift and brutal. The MP detailed the sequence of events on X, stating the mother was fleeing for her life before the fatal encounter.

“The report that we got is she fell into a ditch while running away from the elephant and it caught up with her, trampled, dragged, killed and threw her further down the valley. It is such a sad incident,” Murombedzi posted on November 9.

A Community In Mourning And A Call For Action

The death of Gloria Konde, a dedicated worker at Kariba District Hospital, has sent waves of sorrow through the local community and sparked urgent conversations about human-wildlife conflict. MP Mutsa Murombedzi expressed the collective heartbreak, framing the event as part of a larger, escalating crisis.

“We woke up to heartbreaking news. Human-Wildlife conflict has claimed a dedicated worker at Kariba District Hospital. Gloria Konde was trampled to death by an elephant this morning in Heights suburb. She was walking to church with her three children,” Murombedzi stated in her initial post on the day of the attack.

“She was dragged, trampled & killed in plain sight of her children. Human Wildlife Conflict in Kariba has escalated into a deadly crisis. Our thoughts go to her family during this very difficult time.”

A Recurring Tragedy In A Tourist Haven

The tragic event has highlighted what some residents describe as a grim regularity in the area. One X user, Ganicus, commented on the frequency of such incidents, suggesting a disturbing normalisation.

“I’ll be honest with you, I work out here, its a jungle. Deaths like these in kariba are a regular occurrence, I think elephants kill well over 5 people per year. Nothing has ever been done to manage this to a point when such a death is normalized, people simply move on as normal,” the user posted.

In response to this and other comments, MP Murombedzi agreed on the pressing need for innovative solutions to manage wildlife, especially in zones where human and animal territories overlap.

“Hi Lincolyn. Its extremely sad. Its high time intelligent systems are adopted inorder to manage wildlife esp in areas where humans and wildlife coexist. Also early warning systems. We must not continue to lose precious lives like this,” the MP replied.

Several suggestions emerged from the online discussion, pointing towards modern technology as a potential part of the solution. One user, bingaguru, proposed a specific method for monitoring animal movements to enhance public safety.

“Herd tracking teh using Drones & AI to plan alternate routes via phone could help. Knowing their whereabouts would help,” the user suggested, with MP Murombedzi agreeing “100%”.

The devastating loss has left personal wounds, with another X user, Mr Ku Official, posting in vernacular, “Im hurt momz vaive munhu bhoo zvekudaro,” which translates to “I’m hurt, she was such a good person.”

The incident has left a family without a mother and a community demanding action to prevent further tragedy.