Apostolic sect member drowns at Khami Dam during a prayer session

WHAT began as a normal prayer session ended in tragedy when a 28-year-old member of 12 Apostles, an apostolic sect, drowned at Khami Dam recently.

Moses Dube, who lived in Bulawayo's Nkulumane 11 suburb, drowned after he failed to swim back to the shore on Thursday at about 11am.

In an interview, a member of the apostolic sect, Mr Thembani Moyo (22) of the same suburb, said he left his home in the company of his brother at about 8am on the fateful day for prayers at the dam.

Mr Moyo said there were 12 other worshippers at the dam. "Along with four other people Moses decided to go into the dam for a swim as it was hot. They swam to the rocks in the centre of the dam," he said.

Mr Moyo said they later went down to the banks of the dam to call the four out of the water for them to return home.

"When we called them, the others made it to the edge of the dam but Moses was missing.

"When we did not see him coming out, we went back to search for him," he said.

"It took us about 20 minutes to locate his body as he had already drowned in the deep waters."

Mr Moyo said after retrieving the body a report was made to the police. Dube was buried on Sunday.

Acting police spokesperson for Bulawayo province Assistant Inspector Bekhimpilo Ndlovu confirmed the incident. "I can confirm that we received a report of the drowning of a 28-year-old man at Khami Dam on Thursday," he said.

He urged members of the public to exercise extreme caution when swimming as the water levels were rising since the onset of the rains.

"As police, we urge the public to exercise extreme caution especially during the rainy season," Asst Insp Ndlovu said.