News / National
Mermaid and incensed spirits myth haunts Zimbabwe town
06 Feb 2012 at 04:53hrs | Views
GOKWE town continues to face serious water challenges despite the completion of the construction of Gwehava Dam amid revelations that authorities are failing to draw water from the dam owing to incensed spirits.
The angry spirits, according to local myth, exist in the form of a mermaid and a large strange snake that dwells within the surroundings of the dam, which is about 12km outside the town.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) completed Gwehava dam about two years ago but is still to pump water from it despite the dam being almost full to capacity.
In interviews on Friday, traditional leaders, the town council leadership and villagers who live close to the dam said the town's water woes were set to continue unless certain rituals are conducted to appease the angry spirits.
They said the strange snake, which at times takes the form of a mermaid, blocks the pumping of water by either precipitating electrical faults that damage the pumping system or the large snake would simply coil itself inside the pipes.
"Strange things are happening at Gwehava Dam as tradition seeks to assert its superiority over modern science. Work at the dam was completed long back. All the pipes are in place, the engines are there and were tested by a person whom we assume is a competent engineer and were certified to be working.
"The problem only arises when it is time to switch on the pumps. It is either an electrical fault occurs damaging the breakers or the pumps simply fail to pump water. On several such occasions, the authorities found a big snake coiled inside the pipe, blocking water," said Mr Cuthbert Chigutsa from the nearby Kampani Village under Chief Nemangwe.
Mr Chigutsa said what was happening at Gwehava Dam was beyond the comprehension of mere mortals and the situation called for divine intervention.
He, however, said the strange happenings were not new to the Gwehava area as most people grew up with the knowledge that there existed an unusually large snake that crossed paths and roads close to the dam, blocking the way for villagers intending to visit the next village.
"The snake still exists and one cannot see where its head or tail is because it is long and huge. One Zinwa employee tried to hit the snake with a stone but he went mad before he could do so. You have to belong here for you to appreciate these strange happenings," said the middle-aged Mr Chigutsa.
Mr Chigutsa said when they were still kids, they used to catch a lot of fish with ease.
He said it was increasingly becoming difficult to catch fish after Zinwa's decision to draw water from the sacred dam.
"This (Gwehava) dam was constructed way back in the 1950s. It was a small dam then before it was expanded in the late 1970s to support the growth of Gokwe town, which was a growth point then. However, successive administrations have failed to draw water from the dam because they failed to respect the traditions of this place.
"The same sacred things happen at a nearby dam where irrigation infrastructure was set up more than 15 years ago. The dam is full of water, the canals are there but the infrastructure is rotting because the engines just cannot pump water. This mystery has baffled a lot of local people who had placed a lot of hope in the irrigation project to eke out a living," said Mr Chigutsa.
Mr Luka Mpofu, a former Zinwa contract worker, echoed Mr Chigutsa's sentiments adding that it was mostly local fishermen who witnessed the strange happenings at the dam.
He said the strange happenings occur at night or in the very early hours of the day.
Another villager, Ms Catherine Duma (64), from Mabuyani Village, said the place was sacred and it needed to be given its due respect.
"Gwehava was built long back in the 1950s as a small dam for the local community. When they expanded the dam in the late 1970s that is the time when we also started hearing stories about the strange snake and later the mermaid. The place is definitely sacred. This issue needs village traditional leaders to explain to you. It is only them who are qualified to talk about these happenings," said the diplomatic Ms Duma.
She, however, said not everyone would see the snake or the mermaid, as it is only the lucky ones who witnessed the strange things.
A local Gwehava fisherman, Mr Chadachauya Chitemetembe, put the sacredness of the dam into perspective.
The fisherman of 15 years, who was born and bred in Gwehava area, said the dam was infested with crocodiles that had no appetite for human flesh.
"They only attack goats and dogs. There are some women who use nets to catch fish and they go about their business in the presence of these crocodiles with no harm befalling them. We are, however, not catching that much fish these days following the decision to draw water from Gwehava.
"On certain days we have a good outing but there are other days when we fail to catch anything. This is unlike in the past when we used to catch plenty of fish almost daily. Maybe the change of fortune has something to do with the disappearance of the huge snake. It is very rare to see it these days ever since the water project was mooted," said Mr Chitemetembe.
The fishmonger said there were some Zinwa security people who stayed by the dam with their families yet nothing strange or untoward happened to them.
"They do not come across these strange things yet they reside by the dam site," he said.
Traditional leaders, led by chiefs Njelele and Nemangwe of Gokwe South, have arranged that they conduct a traditional ceremony (bira) today where they would brew beer and slaughter a number of cattle to appease the angry spirits.
Chief Njelele said work was at an advanced stage to correct the wrongs that he said were caused by Zinwa and the Gokwe Town Council.
He said the two authorities should have consulted elderly local people and traditional leaders first before commencing the dam project.
"We have organised that we hold a traditional ceremony where we brew traditional beer and slaughter a number of beasts at the dam site. People will eat and drink as we appease the spirits of the area. The ceremony is on Monday (today). People will spend the night at the dam then on Tuesday we will have a test run of the pumping of water," said Chief Njelele.
The chief said today's ceremony comes after consultations with and the advice of spirit mediums based in Makonde, Chinhoyi.
He said Zinwa and the town council, following three failed attempts to draw water from the Gwehava Dam, approached Chief Nemangwe and himself.
Chief Njelele said Gokwe Town Council sponsored the trip to Makonde, including fuel and allowances. He said they went to Makonde this January.
"On all the three occasions the water was blocked by a large snake which the engineers found coiled inside the pipes. Zinwa then ordered its workers to slash the grass and clear the bushes surrounding the area. One of the workers came across a small snake and called his colleague to the scene. The worker told his colleague that this was one of the snakes that would block water, once it grew big.
"It was then that the snake raised its head and suddenly changed into a human-like creature with long hair. Possibly it is a mermaid. When the other worker arrived, the snake quickly changed into its small size again. The just arrived worker picked up a stone intending to kill the small snake but he lost his senses and collapsed before he could strike. That was last year in February. The worker is now back on duty and his senses are now normal after some traditional rituals were conducted," he said.
Chief Njelele said Zinwa approached him together with Chief Nemangwe seeking their assistance and the two leaders started consulting the elderly people of the surrounding villages like Marumisa, Chimbase and Makwichira in search of a solution.
"They told us that they had no idea of what exactly was happening. We then engaged the Makonde svikiro. The spirit medium told us that things were done the wrong way at the dam. We were told to buy some cloths and take some money to the dam meant to appease the spirits of the area. The spirit medium said we should then have a test run of the pumping of water and afterwards travel to Makonde to update him on the developments," he said.
Gokwe Town Secretary, Mr Tapiwa Douglas Marongwe, said the council decided to sponsor the chiefs' trip to Makonde after concluding that the water challenges had nothing to do with technology.
He said people who made fun out of Minister of Water Resources, Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, did so out of ignorance.
"The problem is real. As council, we are very much aware of the challenges that are blocking water to our town. We want the water. This is why we gave chiefs allowances for their travelling and fuel. There have been a number of problems when Zinwa was installing pipes. Their workers met with a number of challenges and this forced them to engage Chiefs Njelele and Nemangwe for a solution," said Mr Marongwe.
The angry spirits, according to local myth, exist in the form of a mermaid and a large strange snake that dwells within the surroundings of the dam, which is about 12km outside the town.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) completed Gwehava dam about two years ago but is still to pump water from it despite the dam being almost full to capacity.
In interviews on Friday, traditional leaders, the town council leadership and villagers who live close to the dam said the town's water woes were set to continue unless certain rituals are conducted to appease the angry spirits.
They said the strange snake, which at times takes the form of a mermaid, blocks the pumping of water by either precipitating electrical faults that damage the pumping system or the large snake would simply coil itself inside the pipes.
"Strange things are happening at Gwehava Dam as tradition seeks to assert its superiority over modern science. Work at the dam was completed long back. All the pipes are in place, the engines are there and were tested by a person whom we assume is a competent engineer and were certified to be working.
"The problem only arises when it is time to switch on the pumps. It is either an electrical fault occurs damaging the breakers or the pumps simply fail to pump water. On several such occasions, the authorities found a big snake coiled inside the pipe, blocking water," said Mr Cuthbert Chigutsa from the nearby Kampani Village under Chief Nemangwe.
Mr Chigutsa said what was happening at Gwehava Dam was beyond the comprehension of mere mortals and the situation called for divine intervention.
He, however, said the strange happenings were not new to the Gwehava area as most people grew up with the knowledge that there existed an unusually large snake that crossed paths and roads close to the dam, blocking the way for villagers intending to visit the next village.
"The snake still exists and one cannot see where its head or tail is because it is long and huge. One Zinwa employee tried to hit the snake with a stone but he went mad before he could do so. You have to belong here for you to appreciate these strange happenings," said the middle-aged Mr Chigutsa.
Mr Chigutsa said when they were still kids, they used to catch a lot of fish with ease.
He said it was increasingly becoming difficult to catch fish after Zinwa's decision to draw water from the sacred dam.
"This (Gwehava) dam was constructed way back in the 1950s. It was a small dam then before it was expanded in the late 1970s to support the growth of Gokwe town, which was a growth point then. However, successive administrations have failed to draw water from the dam because they failed to respect the traditions of this place.
"The same sacred things happen at a nearby dam where irrigation infrastructure was set up more than 15 years ago. The dam is full of water, the canals are there but the infrastructure is rotting because the engines just cannot pump water. This mystery has baffled a lot of local people who had placed a lot of hope in the irrigation project to eke out a living," said Mr Chigutsa.
Mr Luka Mpofu, a former Zinwa contract worker, echoed Mr Chigutsa's sentiments adding that it was mostly local fishermen who witnessed the strange happenings at the dam.
He said the strange happenings occur at night or in the very early hours of the day.
Another villager, Ms Catherine Duma (64), from Mabuyani Village, said the place was sacred and it needed to be given its due respect.
"Gwehava was built long back in the 1950s as a small dam for the local community. When they expanded the dam in the late 1970s that is the time when we also started hearing stories about the strange snake and later the mermaid. The place is definitely sacred. This issue needs village traditional leaders to explain to you. It is only them who are qualified to talk about these happenings," said the diplomatic Ms Duma.
She, however, said not everyone would see the snake or the mermaid, as it is only the lucky ones who witnessed the strange things.
A local Gwehava fisherman, Mr Chadachauya Chitemetembe, put the sacredness of the dam into perspective.
The fisherman of 15 years, who was born and bred in Gwehava area, said the dam was infested with crocodiles that had no appetite for human flesh.
"They only attack goats and dogs. There are some women who use nets to catch fish and they go about their business in the presence of these crocodiles with no harm befalling them. We are, however, not catching that much fish these days following the decision to draw water from Gwehava.
"On certain days we have a good outing but there are other days when we fail to catch anything. This is unlike in the past when we used to catch plenty of fish almost daily. Maybe the change of fortune has something to do with the disappearance of the huge snake. It is very rare to see it these days ever since the water project was mooted," said Mr Chitemetembe.
The fishmonger said there were some Zinwa security people who stayed by the dam with their families yet nothing strange or untoward happened to them.
"They do not come across these strange things yet they reside by the dam site," he said.
Traditional leaders, led by chiefs Njelele and Nemangwe of Gokwe South, have arranged that they conduct a traditional ceremony (bira) today where they would brew beer and slaughter a number of cattle to appease the angry spirits.
Chief Njelele said work was at an advanced stage to correct the wrongs that he said were caused by Zinwa and the Gokwe Town Council.
He said the two authorities should have consulted elderly local people and traditional leaders first before commencing the dam project.
"We have organised that we hold a traditional ceremony where we brew traditional beer and slaughter a number of beasts at the dam site. People will eat and drink as we appease the spirits of the area. The ceremony is on Monday (today). People will spend the night at the dam then on Tuesday we will have a test run of the pumping of water," said Chief Njelele.
The chief said today's ceremony comes after consultations with and the advice of spirit mediums based in Makonde, Chinhoyi.
He said Zinwa and the town council, following three failed attempts to draw water from the Gwehava Dam, approached Chief Nemangwe and himself.
Chief Njelele said Gokwe Town Council sponsored the trip to Makonde, including fuel and allowances. He said they went to Makonde this January.
"On all the three occasions the water was blocked by a large snake which the engineers found coiled inside the pipes. Zinwa then ordered its workers to slash the grass and clear the bushes surrounding the area. One of the workers came across a small snake and called his colleague to the scene. The worker told his colleague that this was one of the snakes that would block water, once it grew big.
"It was then that the snake raised its head and suddenly changed into a human-like creature with long hair. Possibly it is a mermaid. When the other worker arrived, the snake quickly changed into its small size again. The just arrived worker picked up a stone intending to kill the small snake but he lost his senses and collapsed before he could strike. That was last year in February. The worker is now back on duty and his senses are now normal after some traditional rituals were conducted," he said.
Chief Njelele said Zinwa approached him together with Chief Nemangwe seeking their assistance and the two leaders started consulting the elderly people of the surrounding villages like Marumisa, Chimbase and Makwichira in search of a solution.
"They told us that they had no idea of what exactly was happening. We then engaged the Makonde svikiro. The spirit medium told us that things were done the wrong way at the dam. We were told to buy some cloths and take some money to the dam meant to appease the spirits of the area. The spirit medium said we should then have a test run of the pumping of water and afterwards travel to Makonde to update him on the developments," he said.
Gokwe Town Secretary, Mr Tapiwa Douglas Marongwe, said the council decided to sponsor the chiefs' trip to Makonde after concluding that the water challenges had nothing to do with technology.
He said people who made fun out of Minister of Water Resources, Development and Management, Samuel Sipepa Nkomo, did so out of ignorance.
"The problem is real. As council, we are very much aware of the challenges that are blocking water to our town. We want the water. This is why we gave chiefs allowances for their travelling and fuel. There have been a number of problems when Zinwa was installing pipes. Their workers met with a number of challenges and this forced them to engage Chiefs Njelele and Nemangwe for a solution," said Mr Marongwe.
Source - chronicle
