Patrick Chitumba, pchitumba1@gmail.com
THE usually tranquil waters of Clydesdale Dam in Gweru were shattered earlier this week when two men, a well-known mobile phone dealer and a traditional healer, drowned during a traditional ritual, leaving a group of friends and family utterly devastated.
What began as a straight forward ceremony to invoke the water spirits of Clydesdale Dam took a tragic turn in an instant as the two men began to drown.
The deceased were part of a group of 15 people that had assembled at the dam, hoping to attract better fortunes through their ritual activities.
One of the ritual participants described a mysterious whirlwind that hovered over the waters moments before the two men were dragged under.
“It was like nothing I have ever seen before,” said a shaken eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous.
“We were all standing there as the traditional healer and the other deceased were in the water, when suddenly this whirlwind appeared out of nowhere. It hovered over the water, and then… then it just sucked them in”.
The witness, who was part of the group of 15 people performing the ritual, said they had no warning of the danger that was about to unfold.
The incident has left the community reeling, with many struggling to understand what happened.
The police are investigating the incident, but experts say it is unlikely that a whirlwind was the cause of the tragedy.
Rather, experts say the men probably got caught in a strong current or undercurrent.
Midlands Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the tragic incident.
“Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms two cases of sudden death in which two men drowned at Clydesdale dam in Gweru on 24 February 2025.
“The now deceased men met their fate while allegedly carrying out traditional rituals,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said on the fateful day, it is alleged, 15 people comprising 10 women and five men went to the dam to conduct rituals.
He said it was during the process of the rituals that the two drowned in the dam.
“Zimbabwe Republic Police officers who include Sub Aqua unit attended the scene and the bodies were retrieved on 25 February 2026 at around 1000 hours,” he said.
Insp Mahoko said one of the deceased was positively identified as Philemon Matavire (46) of Woodlands, Gweru while the other body is yet to be identified.
“Once again, we remind members of the public not to take risks by venturing into deep water bodies or flooded rivers and dams,” he said.
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