Bindura – Zimbabwe police on Thursday said two women drowned in Nyaure river in Bindura when they were performing traditional rites known as Manjuzu which according to beliefs link them to the supernatural mermaids.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police said the incident happened on Monday.
Manjuzu refers to mermaids and in recent years some people have believed that if they perform rituals in rivers and dams they would get luck.
”The ZRP confirms a sad incident in which two women drowned in Nyaure River in Manhenga, Bindura on 28/07/25 while performing traditional rites known as manjuzu,” police said.
”The victims have been identified as Ellen Mulauzi (49) and Ethel Nyabundu (22). The bodies were referred to Bindura Provincial Hospital for post mortem.”
A traditional healer who was with the two women survived the accident.
Zimbabweans who are hard hit by economic hardships have been turning to traditional healers known as N’angas or Sangomas to turn around their fortunes.
Some have turned to apostolic faith churched where they seek divine intervention from prophets who can foretell what their future is.
Both men and women who have been turning to Sangomas now sniff ground tobacco snuff which they are told brings them closer to their long gone ancestors or spares them from the evil.
Shona customs link the living and their dead ancestors.
However, some analysts say some of the rituals being done are not Zimbabwe customs.
Two women drown in a river while performing rites known as Manjuzu in Bindura
