A spiritual cleansing ritual at Nyaure River in Bindura turned into a nightmare after two women drowned while attempting to summon mermaid spirits, known locally as manjuzu. The incident, led by a self-styled prophet, has stunned the local community and provoked outrage from traditional leaders who accuse untrained spiritualists of endangering lives through reckless and unauthorised ceremonies.
According to State media, the two victims were part of a group of five young women who had accompanied the prophet to the sacred river in Chief Masembura’s area for what was meant to be a spiritual awakening.
The ritual, however, descended into chaos after one of the women allegedly got “taken” by the spirits—prompting a frantic and ultimately fatal rescue attempt.
Explaining the ordeal to ZBC News, the prophet said:“I went with some women to pray and I wanted to invoke the mermaid spirits. These people had their own issues and during this process one of us was taken by the spirits.
We then went into the water to try and rescue her and one of them died. In the process, my wife also died during the rescue.”
The incident has drawn criticism from traditional authorities, who condemned the unsanctioned ritual and failure to follow proper spiritual protocols.
“These are sacred waters, and there are underground spiritual creatures there,” said Headman Masembura.“Every time you go there you must follow proper rituals and consult with the local leaders. We asked this prophet what he was doing, and he said he brought rice, sweets, biscuits and wine to appease the mermaid spirits of their deceased colleague.
In this river, we have never heard of mermaids—but spiritual things are hard to understand.”
Belief in manjuzu—mystical river beings thought to grant wealth, beauty, or fame—has grown in popularity, especially among young women. But spiritual elders warn that the practices are being misused and manipulated by opportunists.
Traditional healer Sekuru Nzou said:“The thing that has happened here is shocking. Some people just say we are mermaids but there are procedures to be followed.
People who go to rivers with others must have spiritual eyesight.”
He explained that there are different types of manjuzu, including manjuzu enhope, who communicate through dreams and collect river medicine, and others believed to attract prosperity. However, he warned of the dangers of counterfeit rituals.“Some people buy fake mermaid spirits and use magic which may lead them into Satanism,” he added.
Nyasha Simon, a marine spirit believer, echoed the warnings.“Manjuzu are real, but many of us young women are abusing them or being conned by fake prophets. If you go to the river with a hidden agenda, you can end up drowning because the spirits will reject you.”
Source: Zimeye
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