Gandavaroyi Falls

Events

The last recorded incident of a witch testing occurred in 1926, when Runyararo Mlambo, who was aged 20, was thrown in after the local community labelled her a witch.

It is widely believed that the spirits of the witches and wizards and those that perished at the falls in unexplained circumstances still roam the area. Very few locals dare venture near the falls.

In January 2015, a Hurungwe man mysteriously slipped and plunged down the deep gorge, and his body was never found.

In other cases, confirmed by Mr Martin Zimbeva, the local councillor, two local girls were recently attacked and killed by crocodiles near the falls. The villagers allege that in “normal” crocodile attacks, the skulls of the victims are usually retrieved since crocodiles do not consume human skulls. However, in the case of the two girls, nothing was recovered, further raising questions on what really happened to the girls.

Local traditional leaders said the falls are not “haunted” but “sacred.” “Originally, we are from Masvingo and we settled in this area in 1967. This place has been known to be sacred ever since. For close to 40 years, my elder brother was the guardian of the falls and traveled to the Matonjeni shrine at Matopo Hills to consult the spirit mediums on issues regarding the falls. ‘‘Please note that there is a difference between a haunted and a sacred place,” said 91-year-old Mr Enock Chihiya, the local headman. ^[1]

The Sanyati River flows into Lake Kariba, through Matusadonha National Park.

The succession of water falls are spectacular in the rainy season.

Further Reading

Stranger than FICTION: The ‘ghosts’ of Gandavaroyi Falls, Sunday Mail 26 July 2015. ^[1]
Gandavaroyi the Spectacular Falls, Givestar Kamuzonde, Bulawayo24, 9 Oct 2017 ^[2]