Some stories, on the surface, seem too ridiculous sometimes. Especially when we’re talking about creatures like mermaids, which are, in the western world, seen as the products of folklore. But in some parts of the world, like Africa, many sectors of the population there believe that mermaids are very real. And there may be a reason for that. This is a story of mermaids that has been ongoing for hundreds of years. And when it’s been going on that long, we have to sit up and take notice...with an open mind, of course.
Back in February of 2012, the Daily Mail UK rather begrudgingly posted a story about how the construction of reservoirs in Zimbabwe that were intended to bring life-giving water to the local inhabitants and to nourish local farmland was being halted due to some encounters in the those waters with what witnesses effortlessly described as mermaids.

Now, to the outside world, this would probably appear like third world ignorance and lack of the proper education of its residents. But those of us who delve into the more cryptic subjects on planet earth, will most certainly take a second look. Zimbabwe, in southern Africa has a long standing tradition of belief in mermaids, malicious and evil mermaids to boot. And it seems that many encounter stories have popped up there over the years. The question is why. Can it be totally due to ignorance or is there more to it? When investigating into the incidents of cryptids or strange phenomena, it’s important to talk to the locals and get their spin on the subject. They can often provide insight that outsiders won’t have access to any other way. The locals live there and they’re familiar with what is normal there... and what isn’t.

In the beginning of the most intense part of this story, three local boys who were herding their cattle near a dam, spotted what they believed to be a large fish. And a couple of the boys jumped in to try and catch it. But what they found themselves up against, as the story goes, was not a fish at all. According to the boy left on the shore, what they encountered is what locals referred to as a “water spirit.” The creature we know as a mermaid. And they tried to escape. But the boy claimed the water spirit came out of the water, snatched the two boys, and pulled them under the water. But for some reason, they brought them back to the river bank,  still alive but badly injured.

The other boy, obviously frightened by what he saw, ran to get help. But when he returned with the parents, the supposed water spirit returned to the scene also, and quickly pulled the two boys back under the water where they subsequently drowned. So, this horrifying incident was not only witnessed by the remaining boy, but also by the parents and others who came to help.

But this was not the only incident of murdered children in very mysterious circumstances.. Sometime before that, two other young boys had reported to their elders, as they had walked past the river, that they had seen a woman in the water with the body of a fish. And it is said, that one of the boys returned to the scene the next day, only to later be found dead.

And this brings us back to the story of 2012. Much anticipated work was attempted on the Gokwe dam in Midlands and reservoirs near Gokwe, Mutare, and Manicaland.  But the projects were suspended because workers were constantly interrupted by numerous problems that halted progress, including equipment failure and harassment by the so-called “spirits.”  Some of the workers had even reported seeing a “water spirit” messing with some of their equipment. And some workers came up missing, and have, to this day, never been found. The problems were so intense, that the country’s Water Resources Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo was forced to step in. Whites were brought in to do some of the work because the locals were too afraid, including local police, who couldn’t be compelled to investigate for fear of being murdered. Nkomo, in his frustration, told parliament that the setbacks wouldn’t go away until locals “brew a traditional beer, and carry out any rites necessary to appease the spirits.”

Later, there were two subsequent attacks in which the victims survived. One, a teacher, may not have wanted to reported what had happened to her, but she was injured badly enough that she was forced to explain and to tell her story to locals as well as the press. Interestingly, she reported these creatures to be “beautiful” in appearance.

So, what is going on here? The reports aren’t isolated. These encounters, injuries, and deaths have been going on here for centuries, and the belief in mermaids or “water spirits” is still steadfast in the local culture. We can explain it away as human ignorance or misidentification, but I always think there may be more to it. Someone or something is trying to keep locals away from the water in Zimbabwe. And they’re doing a good job. And it may be a long time before we have any really good answers to why.

*********DF

Also Check out this article: Why we're naked and why mermaids could exist





This Post By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher. Dorraine is a Professional Writer, photographer, a nature, wildlife and Bigfoot enthusiast who has written for many magazines. Dorraine conducts research, special interviews and more for The Crypto Crew. Get Dorraine's book The Book Of Blackthorne!




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