News / Local
Gokwe man makes living out of floods
23 Jan 2017 at 22:01hrs | Views
A daring Gokwe villager has turned flooding along Munyati into a money spinning opportunity as he ferries fellow villagers across the flooded river aboard a canoe for a fee.
The crossing point for the old man from Chigwida village in Gokwe North's Ganyungu area is approximately 60 to 70 metres deep and Gift Gwaradzimba charges US$2 per trip per individual.
He usually ferries villagers living along Munyati river who often travel to Sanyati business centre in Mashonaland West Province to seek healthcare services or for shopping.
The villagers said road transport to Sanyati is expensive hence the cheaper option of a canoe.
A man who disembarked from the canoe just upon the ZBC News team arrival at the crossing point said there are no fears of capsizing as the practice has been going on for years.
The canoe captain, Gwaradzimba said for safety's sake he carries one passenger at a time, and can ferry as many as 20 people per day, accumulating up to US$40 per day in income.
When the ZBC News went to Munyati river to witness the plight of the villagers, Gwaradzimba made a trip across the river all by himself, as he wanted to test the magnitude of the water current in the river.
While across the river, he confirmed that the level of turbulence was still high and had to delay picking his next customer awaiting the water levels to subside.
The use of canoes is risky especially when crossing crocodile infested and flooded rivers such as Munyati.
It only takes people like the daring Gwaradzimba to test turbulent waters for years , and one hopes no lives will be lost as a result of the practice.
The crossing point for the old man from Chigwida village in Gokwe North's Ganyungu area is approximately 60 to 70 metres deep and Gift Gwaradzimba charges US$2 per trip per individual.
He usually ferries villagers living along Munyati river who often travel to Sanyati business centre in Mashonaland West Province to seek healthcare services or for shopping.
The villagers said road transport to Sanyati is expensive hence the cheaper option of a canoe.
A man who disembarked from the canoe just upon the ZBC News team arrival at the crossing point said there are no fears of capsizing as the practice has been going on for years.
The canoe captain, Gwaradzimba said for safety's sake he carries one passenger at a time, and can ferry as many as 20 people per day, accumulating up to US$40 per day in income.
When the ZBC News went to Munyati river to witness the plight of the villagers, Gwaradzimba made a trip across the river all by himself, as he wanted to test the magnitude of the water current in the river.
While across the river, he confirmed that the level of turbulence was still high and had to delay picking his next customer awaiting the water levels to subside.
The use of canoes is risky especially when crossing crocodile infested and flooded rivers such as Munyati.
It only takes people like the daring Gwaradzimba to test turbulent waters for years , and one hopes no lives will be lost as a result of the practice.
Source - zbc
