Manjuzu dies during Nyachowa Falls rituals

A WEIGHTY cloud of shock and sorrow descended upon the sacred Nyachowa Falls following the tragic drowning of Vernon Ndemanzvi (31), of Chinhoyi, while allegedly performing some manjuzu rituals at the well-regarded site.

Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka said the incident occurred on September 14, at around 5pm, when Ndemanzvi, of Hore Village under Chief Zvimba in Chinhoyi, entered the waters solely to conduct manjuzu rituals alongside three other men.

His body resurfaced five days after the incident. When The Weekender visited the scene on Tuesday, the traditional leadership of the area, led by Headman Chigodora, had begun conducting cleansing rituals at the tourist attraction site.

They explained that the deceased, Ndemanzvi, was a ritualist and frequent visitor to the falls, who on the fateful day, had been accompanied by three other colleagues, who sought blessings and wealth enhancement for their gold mining venture.

Nyachowa Falls, situated 12km from Mutare City, is a sacred site, steeped in tradition and mythology, with folklore surrounding the presence of mermaids and golden treasures hidden beneath.

“Ndemanzvi drowned while performing a ritual ceremony with his younger brother, Ryan Tinofara Hore (21), of Chitungwiza, and two other men.

During the ceremony, the deceased ventured into the deep-end and drowned. Traditional leaders assured the community and police that he would resurface alive after two days, in accordance with the local customs.

They believed he had been taken by a mermaid and would return. However, on

September 19, his body was found floating and recovered by police at ZRP Chitakatira Post. The body showed no visible injuries and was taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Investigations are in progress,” said Assistant Inspector Chinyoka.

During The Weekender crew’s visit, the entrance to the falls had been temporarily closed, with a sign at the gate inscribed: “Pafalls hapasi kupindwa panguva yatiri please” (Entrance to the falls has been halted at the moment).

In an interview, Headman Chigodora explained that they had temporarily closed the falls to visitors to facilitate spiritual cleansing, as Ndemanzvi’s death was considered a bad omen.

Headman Chigodora said they were preparing the area for cleansing rituals to restore its purity and harmony at the site.

“We will be conducting the cleansing ceremony this weekend. We are brewing the traditional beer for the cleansing rituals.

Originally, the pool was approximately 100 metres deep, but due to the accumulation of sand, its current depth is unknown. This area is sacred, and we strictly prohibit intoxication and alcohol consumption here.

Such disturbances anger the spiritual guardians of this site,” said Headman Chigodora, describing Nyachowa Falls as a sacred and spiritual site where deep respect for water spirits must be observed.

“Nyachowa Falls holds great spiritual significance, and is scared. This tragic incident serves as a poignant reminder that, while faith is essential, the river’s power demands respect. We must strike a balance between observing our traditions and exercising caution.

“Regrettably, in this instance, the deceased was drinking beer, and should not have been near the water. His untimely death was not attributed to mythical creatures, such as mermaids, but rather to reckless behaviour,” he boldly pointed out.

He confirmed receiving reports suggesting that Ndemanzvi had been taken by mermaids, adding that swift efforts were made to engage traditional healers and relatives in attempts to retrieve him.

“His brother, who was consistently sniffing snuff at the falls, insisted that his brother had been taken by mermaids. As the traditional leadership, we performed our rituals, and were advised that his blood relatives who were not present at the time should lead the rituals. They brought fellow manjuzu and healers to assist, but their efforts were fruitless. We also enlisted the help of Mbuya Machuma, but still, nothing happened. Later, we contacted his mother from Chitungwiza and his wife. We advised them not to cry, as we hoped for his return. However, when we accompanied them for the rituals, we discovered that his body had resurfaced,” said Headman Chigodora, adding that the post-mortem examination outcome revealed that Ndemanzvi had drowned.

“His body had turned grey and developed blisters, indicating he had drowned. It was not a mermaid that killed him. If it had been, his body would have remained warm, and blood would have oozed from his nose and mouth, suggesting something had gone awry during the rituals. In this case, no rituals had gone wrong – he drowned instantly,” explained Headman Chigodora.

He said Ndemanzvi’s body was buried in Chitungwiza on Monday.

In a separate interview, Garikai Chidano, one of the individuals responsible for overseeing the falls on the day of the incident, revealed that the group had illicitly brought alcohol to the sacred area.

Furthermore, they refused to adhere to the rules prohibiting items such as beer and rice, which are typically reserved for ritual purposes.

“We were overseeing the falls when the four arrived. The man, who later drowned, was the ritualist, accompanied by his younger brother and two gold miners seeking to enhance their wealth. I informed them that we prohibit items like alcohol and rice at the falls. Upon their arrival, I noticed that the ritualist was intoxicated. He immediately entered the water, appearing to struggle, but his brother insisted that we leave him, claiming he possessed extraordinary abilities regarding water. He asserted that his brother had not drowned, but was exercising his control over the water. We subsequently contacted Headman Chigodora, and at that point, we believed he had been taken by mermaids. That was when we were instructed to report the incident to the police,” said Chidano.

Chidano expressed concern that, despite prior warnings, the men had smuggled beer into the falls, thereby desecrating the sacred pool’s sanctity.

Local tour guide, Tadiwanashe Matongera, revealed that the group refused to pay the full entrance fee.

“They were required to pay US$8 for the four of them, but they became aggressive, and only paid US$3. I was compelled to admit them. It was not his first visit – he was familiar with me by name – as he frequently brought clients to perform rituals at the falls,” he said.

Manica Post