The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani News Editor
IT is more than a year since the devastating Cyclone Idai hit Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, but mystery still surrounds what really transpired on March 14, 2019.
To some villagers in the worst affected areas of Chimanimani, March 14, 2019 is best remembered as the night when stones rained.
Villagers in Chimanimani say a loud bang was heard the night when Cyclone Idai made landfall in the area, especially around Rusitu.
Up to this day, stones arranged like pavers are still a common sight.
Their origins have been a source of debate at most local gatherings.
The debate was ignited again during a visit to the area last Friday.
Following his initial visit to Chimanimani last year, President Mnangagwa said Government was seeking a clear explanation for the huge boulders that destroyed infrastructure and human life.
The President said some people experienced tremors before the cyclone. Some of the boulders that were washed away by the rains seem to have come from under the water.
Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo also chipped in and said it was important to study the nature of the cyclone.
“We are also beginning to study the nature of that cyclone and see if there are other related effects that may not necessarily be the cyclone itself. We need to look at that area to get an understanding of what transpired.
“You cannot explain the stones, the boulders that have come in the rivers.
“They do not seem to have come from the mountains, but they are the ones that destroyed the villages.”
Although locals are yet to be updated of any Cyclone Idai studies that may have been done, they still believe that a supernatural phenomenon hit their area.
“Boulders now cover the length and breadth of areas like Ngangu, Copa, Rusitu and Kurwaisimba.
“Before Cyclone Idai, red soils were a dominant feature here, but they have since been replaced by boulders. Riverbeds are also choked with these boulders.
“It was more like a mudslide as the boulders were being rolled down by the floods. This is a mountainous area, but the quantities of stones and boulders that were left exposed by the cyclone are just too much. This clearly shows that they erupted from underground. Most of them are smooth,” said Mr Nyasha Ndima.
Explosive Engineer Archibald Dzingire, a resident of Dzingire in Chimanimani, was at home when the cyclone hit the district.
He said although no research has been done to ascertain the origins of the boulders, his own understanding of cyclones is that they suck pressure from the bottom, going upwards.
“We get so many theories regarding Cyclone Idai, with some saying much of the damage here was caused by an earth tremor that weakened the ground, thereby resulting in water gushing out of the ground.
“The rains we experienced here were not that heavy compared to what we got during Cyclone Eline. Damage was from the water and boulders which erupted from underground.
“Rivers were initially flooded by water, then mud and later by rocks. Rocks and boulders were rolling on top of the mud and it was more like volcanic lava,” said Eng Dzingire.
The Engineer also studied geology and worked as a mine manager for some time.
“This cyclone initially developed as a pressure system off the Mozambican coast in the Indian Ocean.
“It later developed into a cyclone as it receded into Mozambique. Due to Chimanimani’s proximity to the Indian Ocean, as the cyclone was sucking water from the ocean, this might have resulted in the underground cracks.
“The pressure coming from the underground water resulted in eruptions accompanied by boulders and rocks. Trees were also uprooted in the process as the ground had been weakened.
“What was witnessed around the Skyline area was a clear indication that water was being sucked from underground. Water, mud and rocks gushed out, thereby resulting in mudslides. That also explains why there was extensive damage in the area around St Charles Lwanga Secondary School.”
He added:
“There was also the incident involving a TripTrans Bus which was reportedly blown away for more than three kilometres by an unknown force. Most of the events which unfolded here are hard to believe because disaster struck at night when most people were asleep.
“Tales will continue coming up, but a proper research has to be done as this will help in future planning.
“Otherwise we really do not know what Mother Earth has in store for us.”
Another unexplained phenomenon was the emergence of rivers and waterfalls in Chimanimani.
“We now have rivers that never existed prior to this. At first when the rains receded, red stuff was flowing all over the area. The water later became clearer, but it was hard and salty.
“You could not do laundry with it and this continued for several weeks.
“Later on it became better. Most of our rivers now have clear water, save for areas where there is rampant gold panning.
“From my homestead, I could see water coming from the ground, yet there is no spring there. What also puzzled me was that although Nyahode and Rusitu Rivers are in the same area, Nyahode had more water than Rusitu. As a result more gullies were formed along the Nyahode River basin,” said Eng Dzingire.
