ALTHOUGH the recent rockslide in Cheza Village, Domboshava, claimed the life of Freddie Chiusinga, left his son Freddie Junior for dead with a trail of destruction in the usually quiet Chiusinga homestead, only sketchy theories of how this shocking catastrophe happened have come to the fore.
What seemed a daily routine of retiring to bed after a hard day’s work last week on Monday turned out to be a horrible nightmare for both the villagers and Samson, son to the late Freddie Senior, who escaped the ‘raging’ falling rocks of the now infamous Zhenje Mountain.
Narrating his horrendous ordeal, Samson said he woke up early morning Tuesday January 28 and went outside the bedroom he shared with his young brother to relieve himself.
The pounding rains, Samson said, saw him quickly returning to bed.
In a flash, Samson said he heard a thundering sound of lightning that was instantly followed by the movement of their house.
Confused by the shocking events, Samson said he blacked out until he woke up about five minutes later trapped in rubbles of their destroyed bedroom.
He managed to rescue his brother who was also trapped and injured.
In the midst of recollecting his senses, gathering himself and coming to terms with the tragic incident, Samson said he realised that he had to rescue his father who had been swept off by a deluge of mud and rocks.
“I was shocked when I saw that our houses had all been swept off by the might of the fallen rocks,” said Samson.
“All this happened in a matter of seconds, shortly after I had relieved myself and gone back to bed.
“We knew that our father was buried by that rubble
“We shouted for help and our neighbours who reside across the river swiftly came to our aid.”
But the help did not come immediately as the furious river dividing the Chiusinga homestead and adjacent homesteads made it impossible for assistance to come.
The neighbours only managed to negotiate their way after the ‘anger’ of the river had subsided after an hour-long period of seeking ways to carve through the voluminous waters.
The police were alerted and they assisted in searching for the 74-year-old.
Freddie Chiusinga was found days later trapped in the trees that had also been felled by the landslide by Gilbert Mudapakati who claims that the deceased came into his dreams and showed him where his dead body was, two kilometres away in Chipokoteke River.
A neighbour who spoke on condition of anonymity said the late Chiusinga had two weeks earlier told her of his encounter with a mermaid.
“Va Chiusinga vakandiudza masvondo maviri apfuura kuti vakaona njuzu padziva riri pedyo nepamba pavo,” she said.
“Pachivanhu chedu kana munhu akasangana nenjuzu panzvimbo painogara inotsamwa.
“Zvakare inenge ichikutaurira kuti chitama nekuti kana yava kubva inosiya yaparadza nzvimbo yainenge ichigara.”
The woman said Chiusinga was staying on the edge of Zhenje Mountain which is sacred thus he had ‘upset’ the spirits, she claimed.
She claims that sounds of drum beats had been heard close to the old man’s house were coming from an unknown source.
“Vanhu vemubhuku vangataure zvavo zvavangataure maererano nekuparara kwemusha wavaChiusinga asi vaChiusinga vakatorwa nenjuzu,” she said.
“Gomo ravaigara mujinga maro reZhenje rinoera.
“Pane zvakakanganiswa chete pakugara kwavo.
“Ichi chivanhu chiripachena nekuti njuzu haingoonekwe pasina zvakanganiswa.”
A spirit medium from Cheza Village, Sekuru Fungai Mawire dismissed the scientific explanation which says the rock slide was due to weathering.
He said the area where the late Chiusinga was staying was sacred hence his fate might have been a punishment for violation of traditional and cultural values.
Sekuru Mawire said there was a mermaid which used to stay in the area where the incident happened.
“Nzvimbo iyi inoyera kubva pasichigare,” said Sekuru Mawire.
“Isu taimborima ikoko kuma60s’ tichinzwa ngoma dzairira.
“Panzvimbo ipapo pakatorwa vanhu vatatu nenjuzu.
“Njuzu iyi yakatsamwa saka yakazviburitsa pachena ichibva yaparadza.”
Sekuru Mawire blamed Christianity for eroding traditional beliefs.
He said this was resulting in droughts and natural disasters.
The spirit medium encouraged people to respect culture and sacred places.
“I have never heard of any traditionalists performing rituals or worshiping in churches, yet Christians love to worship their Christ in our sacred mountains,” said Sekuru Mawire.
“MaKristu anodenha vadzimu vedu pamadiro.
“Nzara nenjodzi zvinozotevera mushure mekutsamwa kwemidzimu yedu
“Makuva aive pamusha apa akanyenyeredzwa asi musha wose wakaparadzwa zvinova zvakaratidza pachena kutsamwa kwemidzimu ne Mhondoro dzedunhu.”
A member of Johane Masowe, Shephered Gororo, said people must respect sacred places.
“What happened in this area is shocking and it is clear that it is not a natural accident,” said Gororo.
“Every place has its spirits and they must be respected as the punishment for provoking these spirits is severe.
“As much as I believe in Christianity, I would like to encourage people to stick to their beliefs and respect their culture and religion.
“Kunamata,” said Gororo, “tinganamate zvedu, asi chivanhu chedu chiriko zvakare chinoda kuremekedzwa.”
The fact that graves at the homestead were the only things that were spared by the massive landslide heightened the belief that the incident was supernatural.