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By Shorai Murwira
As Zimbabwe’s economy is on the verge of collapse, the quest for wealth has taken a spiritual turn, with desperate individuals resorting to “manjuzi,” a practice where believers seek the spirit of the mermaid to gain fortune.
Rivers, dams, and reservoirs are bearing the brunt of ritualistic offerings, leading to devastating consequences for aquatic ecosystems, as this pursuit of wealth is leading to an environmental crisis. Water bodies believed to be the abode of these mystical beings are becoming sites of heavy pollution.
These ‘njuzu’associated rituals are often involve throwing offerings into water bodies, such as alcohol bottles, clothing, food like sweets and rice, and other non-biodegradable materials.
The offerings may also involve the release of harmful chemicals into the water. The accumulation of this waste has choked aquatic ecosystems, leading to reduced water quality, dying fish populations, and the destruction of habitats.
Communities relying on these water sources for drinking, farming, and fishing are directly impacted.
In areas like Lake Chivero, Hunyani Dam, and Mukuvisi River, locals report a decline in fish stocks and an increase in waterborne diseases.
“The water has turned green and sometimes dark, people often come and throw different things including water and beer bottles. This is now reducing the number of fish as we used to fish before,’ said a villager who was recognized as Tobias Maremba in Dema.
Maremba survives on selling fish but now his business is dying because the dam is highly polluted. “We even scared to use it for irrigation because cases of diarrhea are increasing and we suspect this ,”he said.
The Zimbabwe Wildlife parks last week reported that 19 hippos died and the deaths came a few weeks after four rhinos were reported dead at Lake Chivero Recreational Park due to contaminated water flowing into the water body.
In an article by local newspaper, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson Amkela Sidange revealed that approximately 415 megalitres of untreated sewage are discharged into the environment daily, raising further alarm about the state of wildlife habitats.
While the environmental cost is evident, efforts to address the problem remain minimal. Environmentalists are calling for stricter regulations on the use of water bodies for ritual purposes and increased awareness of sustainable practices. Some religious leaders and traditional healers are also advocating for the use of symbolic, non-polluting alternatives in rituals to protect the environment.
Fidelis Chima from Hwange Residents Trust said, “while I respect freedom of religion and to worship. Throwing of particles in water bodies for rituals should be held with contempt it deserves.Those who practice “manjuzu” rituals should be held criminally liable if they continue polluting water bodies because this practice has serious health issues to aquatic and human lives.”
Florence ‘Shumbakadzi’ Nyamazana, a cultural custodian said the belief in mermaids, or “njuzu,” has deep roots in Zimbabwean spirituality.
“Traditionally, njuzu were revered as custodians of water and bringers of fortune, often associated with healing, wealth, and protection. However, these days people are practising this as a cult because it is different from the characteristics of this spirit from the rivers as we used to know it.”
She said that this practise has been in existence for many years but we have never seen water bodies being polluted with plastics and bottles like what is happening now and assured that these means what is being done now is a cult practise meant to extort poor and vulnerable people.
Last month, massive pollution has resulted in the suspension of fishing activities at Lake Chivero, one of the country’s seven Ramsar-protected sites, amid revelations that over a thousand dead fish were washed ashore.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wild Life Management Authority confirmed that the fish died from cyanobacteria poisoning. It said that raw sewage runoff from the Marimba area which forced contaminated water into multiple bays creating hazardous conditions for aquatic life.
