Women drown during 'manjuzu' rituals

The tragic drowning of two women performing "manjuzu" (mermaid) rituals at Nyaure River in Bindura on Monday has shocked the local community and stirred anger among traditional leaders. The incident, reportedly led by a self-styled prophet, has reignited debates about the existence and power of mermaid spirits, widely known as manjuzu.

According to the prophet who led the group, five young women ventured into the wilderness of Chief Masembura's area in Bindura to perform spiritual rites. The group intended to invoke the mermaid spirits as part of their ritual. However, the ceremony took a fatal turn.

"I went with some women to pray and I wanted to invoke the mermaid spirits. These people had their own issues and during this process one of us was taken by the spirits. We then went into the water to try and rescue her and one of them died, in the process, my wife also died during the rescue," the self-styled prophet explained.

Chief Masembura's headman issued a stern warning to the community about respecting sacred water bodies. "These are sacred waters, and there are underground spiritual creatures there. So, every time you go there you must follow proper rituals and you must ask the leaders of this place. We asked these people what exactly they were doing and this self-styled prophet said he brought rice, sweets and biscuits and wine to appease the mermaid spirits of their deceased colleague. In this river, we have never heard of mermaids but spiritual things are hard to understand because there are spiritual beings under water so it could be like that," he said.

Manjuzu beliefs have become increasingly popular among young women who think that being born with or nurturing such spirits can lead to wealth and fame. However, the existence of these marine spirits remains a subject of spiritual debate.

Sekuru Nzou, a respected traditional healer, weighed in on the matter, cautioning that while some claims of manjuzu are genuine, many are fraudulent. "The thing that has happened here is shocking, some people are just saying we are mermaids but there are procedures to be done and people who go down with people to rivers should have spiritual eyesight," he said.

Nyasha Simon, an expert on traditional spiritual practices, elaborated further, describing three types of mermaid spirits and warning about the dangers of fake prophets exploiting believers. "There are real manjuzu and those which are fake. Those who buy fake mermaid spirits use magic and they can end up in Satanism. There are three types of mermaid spirits: manjuzu enhope, who dream of spirits and fetch medicine in rivers; others who make people rich," she explained.

Simon also cautioned that many young women are being misled by false prophets in their pursuit of quick wealth through manjuzu, often with deadly consequences. "If you go to rivers with a hidden agenda you can end up drowning because you won't get along with the mermaid spirits," she warned.

While the existence of manjuzu spirits remains a matter of faith and tradition, the recent tragedy underscores the risks involved in engaging with these spiritual practices without proper guidance. Traditional leaders urge vigilance and respect for cultural rituals, warning against exploitation by fake prophets who threaten the sanctity of African traditional religion.