The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara
EVER read the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor, a fictional sailor who, during his voyages in Africa and Asia, went to magical places, fought monsters and encountered supernatural happenings? Tales involving supernatural phenomena are, however, not only confined to the rough seas and mysterious islands that the fictional Sinbad is said to have traversed.
Strange things that are more bizarre than those chronicled in the famous voyage tales are believed to be happening, not on an uninhabited island somewhere in Asia, but at Murehwa’s Zhombwe Mountain.
For as long as Murehwa residents can remember, supernatural happenings have been taking place at this massive, rocky granite outcrop, which is located a few kilometres from Murehwa Centre, along the Harare/Nyamapanda Road.
In recent times, gold miners and those conducting prayer sessions at the mountain have often left in a huff, after reportedly encountering “unnatural beings.”
In an incident that was confirmed by Chief Zihute, born Innocent Mangwende, gold miners recently left the mountain in a hurry after a “big snake” reportedly confronted them as they searched for fortune.
He narrated,
“This is not fiction. Some visibly scared gold miners came to me and narrated how a very big snake would often appear each time the diggers attempted to extract the precious mineral.
They wanted me to conduct a traditional ceremony that would make it possible for them to mine but I refused. They wanted to use me.”
“Lions” are said to be on “patrol” in the gold-rich mountain, scaring away the miners.
Chief Zihute said in another dramatic scene, members of an apostolic sect were attacked by the giant reptile, which rattled the church members’ belongings, scattering them around.
It is also reported that one sect member is believed to have disappeared mysteriously.
Locals believe the mountain harbours mysterious secrets, including a treasure trove full of silver and gold.
The trove, which villagers say was left behind by one of the local chiefs, is widely believed to be tucked somewhere in an underground cave.
Mbuya Esnath Makwengura (78), whose homestead is at the base of the mountain, insists Zhombwe Mountain is sacred.
“I remember during the 1960s when we could hear strange voices singing and beating drums in the mountain during the night. Every year, a mysterious fire guts a certain part of the mountain and to us, this signals the beginning of the rainy season,” she said.
According to Mbuya Mukwengure, senior Government officials, with traditional leaders in tow, occasionally visit the mountain seeking ways of extracting gold.
The question lingering on the minds of the miners is: when will Zhombwe mountain’s “snakes and lions” allow gold mining?
With the economic challenges facing the country, Zimbabwe needs to tap the Zhombwe gold.
