Mountain makes one think twice before embarking on the journey.
Now imagine this — you have gone on a holiday trip with your family in a
mountain. Your husband decides to dare a little distance further up and
he disappears for good . . . never to be seen again even with the help
of experts armed with helicopters and binoculars.
Or a boulder falls from a mountain top into a river and the water turns
into blood and the river flows all year round in that red state,
tainting other rivers it meets downstream into crimson.
Or worse still, you go up a mountain and you find trees talking and
laughing in harmony with nature and upon exclaiming about this shock of
your life, a thick blanket of mist engulfs you and you disappear in it.
Unthinkable, is it not?
Yet these scenarios have been haunting people in Nyangani Mountain
since time immemorial. A lot unheralded mysteries have been happening in
the mountain, with the most publicised being the disappearance of the
Masaya twins in the late 80s, then the vanishing of an Indian tourist
last year which awakened the world into a prompt search.
Mountain climbing experts armed with helicopters and binoculars combed
the Nyangani Mountain thickets but it was a futile exercise.
The latest victims of the unknown "kidnapper" are two innocent children
from St Killians Mission in Makoni who had recently gone on a trip with
their fellow students at a natural pool in Nyamombe River. The students
disappeared from the group only to be found dead in the pool the
following morning.
This has left the Nyanga community and the province at large clueless as to what really happens in the mountain.
Headman Samhembere said the Nyangani Mountain was sacred and this has
something to do with supernatural rites surrounding it which have
however been continuously ignored.
The elderly traditional leader explained the historical background of
Nyanga which he said is haunting people up to the present day.
"Nyanga, which in Chewa means first- born, was Tangwena's son who
travelled from Malawi and established his chiefdom in present day
Nyanga, which is named after him.
"Chief Nyanga then established friendship with Chirikutsi, a mermaid
which lived at Pungwe falls. The chief had his sacred alter in the
mountain, along Nyamombe River where they would meet the mermaid as well
as communicate with their spirit mediums. At one point the mermaid came
out of water and took Nyanga's family with it into the waters, living a
few behind. It could have been a move to find some friends to live with
since they had entered into a friendship pact.
"Chief Nyanga's chieftainship was then destroyed with the coming of
commercial white farmers who were targeting the cool temperatures and
fertile red soils associated with the area," he said.
Samhembere who said he is a descendent of the Nyanga family, suggested
that the Government should recognize Nyanga chieftainship in order to
bring peace in the mountain as there is need for divine intervention as
it seems there is spiritual war in the mountain.
"Nyanga should be appointed chief in the areas that lie around Nyanga
national park. He was the first to settle in Nyanga before other
recognised chiefs; Saunyama, Tangwena, Makoni, Katerere and Mutasa.
Ironically Tangwena only came here following his son Nyanga who had
established his chiefdom already. Spirit mediums may be not happy with
the developments and we still fear for the worse," he added.
The headman also said that when they were called to help in the
searching expedition of the Indian tourist, they were "given" a 20 metre
long white piece of cloth which he then shared with his relatives
(Nyanga family) who live in Honde Valley. He said they immediately came
across it, in front of them, as they led people on the mountain top.
Acting Chief Saunyama also concurred with headman Samhembere that the
Nyangani Mountain is sacred. He implored all the people to observe what
they are told to do whenever they visit it.
"The mountain is sacred. The problem is people are now shunning our
tradition for Western cultures. We should always respect our culture.
What is happening in Nyangani Mountain is very depressing. It must be
given the attention it deserves," he said.
The chief also encouraged the National Parks to work in consultation
with the local traditional leaders so that they would know what sacred
rules to follow in their execution of duty.
"The National Parks look down upon the local chiefs yet they are the
ones who know how to traditionally rectify some of the problems in the
mountain. They should convene us so that we guide them on what should be
culturally followed when tourists are up in the mountain. They have a
habit of thinking of us when things go wrong.
"We have things that we expect people to observe each time they go
there, for example avoiding wearing of red colours in the rain season,
having sexual intercourse or any intimate activities and commenting on
strange natural features there, all of which people go up there unaware
of. What will soon happen is that the tourists will end up hesitating to
visit our naturally gifted area because of what they hear about the
mountain," he said.
The church has its own way of thinking in respect of the matter and
according to Pastor Nyakatawa of the End Time Message all this mystery
had to do with some spirits that were cast down from heaven.
"According to Revelations 12:7 God fought with Satan and his angels and
upon being defeated they were cast down on earth. Some fell in the deep
sea, high mountains and thick bushes. They have got power and we should
not despise them or underestimate their power. Such mystery is real
because Satan wants to cause misery to people.
They are fallen angels. It needs God's revelation to understand these
issues and that is why even the traditionalists cannot fully explain the
mystery, "he said.
Another believer who spoke on condition of anonymity had this to say:
"People should simply respect and follow what they are told to do when
they are in the so called sacred places. Even in the Bible there were
some sacred places like Bethel and the place where Moses would meet God
in the wilderness. The results of going against such orders are far
reaching, "he said.
As for the events in Nyangani Mountain one day they will come to an
end, only time will tell. Meanwhile the bizarre and unthinkable
continues unabated.
