A traditional healer and a mobile phone dealer drowned after a sudden whirlwind stirred the usually calm waters of Clydesdale Dam in Gweru earlier this week.
Philemon Matawire (46), a well-known cellphone dealer, and Edwin Chingandu (33), a traditional healer known as Sekuru Samaita, were reportedly performing Manzuzu rituals in the dam on 24 February when a whirlwind is said to have swept across the water and dragged them under.
The two were part of a group of 15 people who had gathered at the dam in the hope of attracting better fortunes through ritual activities.
One of the participants, who asked not to be named, said a strange whirlwind appeared over the water moments before the two men were pulled beneath the surface. He said:
“It was like nothing I have ever seen before. 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 among the 15 people taking part in the ritual, said there had been no warning of the danger that was about to unfold.
The incident has left the community in shock, with many struggling to make sense of what happened.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the incident. He said:
“The 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.”
Inspector Mahoko said that on the day of the incident, 15 people — 10 women and five men — went to the dam to carry out rituals.
He said it was during the ritual that the two men drowned.
Police officers, including members of the Sub Aqua unit, attended the scene. The bodies were retrieved the following day, on 25 February 2026, at around 10 am.
Inspector Mahoko urged members of the public not to take unnecessary risks by venturing into deep water or flooded rivers and dams.
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