The Sunday Mail
The Gandavaroyi Falls, if marketed and developed, have the potential to become a major international tourist destination
Located 100 km from Nembudziya Shopping Centre in the sprawling Midlands district of Gokwe is a natural wonder that has become the stuff of legends.
The mere mention of the name Gandavaroyi Falls is enough to send shivers down the spines of the local people.
Local folklore alleges that from pre-colonial times right up to the 1920s, all suspected witches and wizards would be thrown into the estimated 50-metre deep gorge that is located near the falls, hence the Shona name “Gandavaroyi”.
Historical accounts state that in 1926, Runyararo Mlambo, who was aged 20, was the first to be tossed into the Gandavaroyi Falls after the local community labelled her a witch.
Did Mother Nature specifically sculpt this “natural guillotine” so that Gokwe’s wicked would be easily wiped away from the face of the earth?
However, despite the fact that the so-called “witches and wizards” were last thrown down the “Dungeon of Doom” many decades ago, people living in surrounding areas still view the falls with fear and trepidation.
It is widely believed that the spirits of the witches and wizards and those that perished at the falls in unexplained circumstances still roam the area.
Very few locals would dare venture near the falls.
Occasional mysterious occurrences have, to a greater extent, helped cement the belief that the falls are indeed haunted by ghosts.
In January, a Hurungwe man mysteriously slipped and plunged down the deep gorge, never to be seen again.
How the victim squeezed through a small crack to plunge into the raging waters remain a mystery that most locals are reluctant to discuss.
Locals strongly believe that had the man’s relatives conducted the “correct” traditional rites, the body of the unfortunate victim could have been retrieved.
In other cases that were confirmed by Mr Martin Zimbeva, the local councillor, two local girls were recently attacked and killed by crocodiles near the falls.
The villagers allege that in “normal” crocodile attacks, the skulls of the victims are usually retrieved since crocodiles do not consume human skulls.
However, in the case of the two girls, nothing was recovered, further raising questions on what really happened to the girls.
Furthermore, locals allege that strange noises are heard from the falls at night.
Drum beating sounds, which are preceded by some earth tremors, are said to be common while cries similar to those of children can be heard in the middle of the night.
The villagers believe that the strange noises are the work of both the doomed “witches and wizards” and the people who perished at this unspoiled natural wonder.
Mr Taonga Muronza, a local villager, narrated a bone-chilling experience.
“One day, as I was approaching the falls, I saw a herd of predominantly white cattle grazing near the falls. I could also clearly see clothes that had been left to dry. As I got closer to the falls, both the cattle and clothes disappeared. I left the place in a huff,” he alleged.
Local traditional leaders said the falls are not “haunted” but “sacred.”
“Originally, we are from Masvingo and we settled in this area in 1967. This place has been known to be sacred ever since. For close to 40 years, my elder brother was the guardian of the falls and travelled to the Matonjeni shrine at Matopo Hills to consult the spirit mediums on issues regarding the falls.
‘‘Please note that there is a difference between a haunted and a sacred place,” said 91-year-old Mr Enock Chihiya, the local headman.
Will the unexplained deaths associated with the falls ever cease?
Only time will tell.
