Husband fights crocodile to save wife

A courageous husband from Hwange is being hailed as a hero after he bravely rescued his wife from the jaws of a crocodile that attacked her while she was collecting water from the Zambezi River on Tuesday evening.

Virginia Nyoni (45) was drawing water - her only available source due to the absence of boreholes in the Msuna-Kanjeza area - when the crocodile struck. The reptile, believed to have been lurking in ambush, lunged at her and dragged her into the water by her right thigh.

Her husband, Oliver Nyoni, who heard her desperate screams from approximately 300 metres away, sprinted to the river and leapt into the water to confront the beast.

"I got into the water, going straight towards the crocodile as it kept dragging my wife to the deeper end of the river. When I got there, I got hold of her while punching the reptile on its nose with my fists. After about five punches, it let go, opening its mouth, and that is when my wife broke free," Oliver recounted.

Despite sustaining injuries, he managed to pull his wife roughly 30 metres from the river's edge. However, the ordeal was not over. The crocodile, undeterred and seemingly intent on finishing the attack, emerged from the water once more.

"At that moment, I was in a state which I still don't understand. I used all and any means to scare off the crocodile, including throwing sand at it, and thank God Almighty, it retreated," said Oliver.

Virginia is currently receiving treatment at Hwange Colliery Hospital. She is set to be transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo for specialist care, a move made possible through intervention by local authorities after the family was unable to raise the US$1,000 required for transfer.

Ward 10 Councillor Lethukuthula Ngwenya expressed shock over the incident and criticised the continued reliance on the crocodile-infested river due to the lack of boreholes.

"The village has no borehole; their only water source is the Zambezi River, and this exposes them to the dangers of crocodile attacks. I am just glad that we didn't lose her, but our people are not safe at all," said Ngwenya. "We managed to talk to the Hwange Rural District Council to avail their ambulance, so tomorrow (today), she will be transferred to Bulawayo."

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) confirmed the attack. Spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the area has experienced a surge in crocodile incidents.

"This is the third incident in that same area within a short period," said Farawo. "We encourage communities that use domestic water from the river, which is infested with crocodiles, to make sure they barricade the area where they do their laundry and other chores so that it will be clear to see if there is a crocodile. This is a really unfortunate incident; we wish the victim a quick recovery."

According to Zimparks, crocodile-related incidents have claimed nine lives and injured 12 others across Zimbabwe since the beginning of the year. In the same period, 44 cattle and 60 goats have also fallen victim in 49 reported cases of human-wildlife conflict.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Msuna-Kanjeza, remains one of the hotspots, alongside Central region rivers such as Kwekwe, Sebakwe, and Munyati.

As Virginia begins her road to recovery, villagers are calling for urgent intervention to improve water infrastructure and mitigate the persistent threat posed by crocodiles in the region.