The Funcargo vehicle being pulled out of Shavi river
Cephas Shava / Exsto Makunzva
10 March 2017, MWENEZI – A fisherman drowned last Saturday and was found dead the following day after his makeshift aluminium boat was washed away while trying to cross a flooded Mwenezi River on the edges of Manyuchi Dam’s spillway.
Farai Parwazenga, who was in his late 70s and was from Chinyu village under Chief Neshuro, was reportedly swept away while trying to rescue some people who were stuck on the other side of the river.
“Since the river was flooded, Parwazenga tried to guide his boat across the Manyuchi Dam spillway and we saw his boat being washed away as he tried to cross to the other side.
“It’s a matter luck that his body was found because chances were high for him to disappear without a trace,” said an eyewitness.
In Zvishavanbe, an employee of Mimosa Mines, Joyful Mpofu of Ingome village under Chief Wedza, died after a Toyota Funcargo he was travelling in was swept away while trying to cross Shavi River on a flooded bridge.
The shocked driver of the vehicle, Febour Dzvairo said he had become accustomed to crossing the river under similar circumstances and did not know what went wrong on that incident.
“It just happened unexpectedly. We have for long crossed the bridge as it overflowed like that but today we were just unlucky. I don’t know how I managed to escape. I just found myself swimming,” said Dzvairo.
Eye witness Ben Moyo said he saw the vehicle being swept into the river and he later saw Dzvairo and Polite Moyo coming out of the river with Dzvairo stuck naked saying the water had stripped him off his clothes.
Mpofu was trapped in the car and when Moyo and Dzvairo went back to check on their colleague, they discovered that he was already dead.
Mpofu’s body was later taken to Zvishavane District Hospital Mortuary.topnews, local,pictures
