A Hwange man threw himself into the jaws of danger to rescue his wife from a crocodile attack along the crocodile-infested banks of the Zambezi River.
The terrifying incident took place Tuesday evening in the Msuna-Kanjeza area and has left the community both shaken and awe-inspired.
Virginia Nyoni (45) was collecting water, the village’s sole source due to the lack of a borehole when a lurking crocodile lunged from the riverbank, clamping onto her right thigh and dragging her into the water.
Hearing her desperate cries from 300 metres away, her husband, Oliver Nyoni, immediately ran to her aid.
“I got into the water, going straight towards the crocodile as it kept dragging my wife to the deeper end of the river.
“When I got there, I got hold of her while punching the reptile on its nose with my fists. After about five punches, it let go, opening its mouth, and that is when my wife broke free,” Nyoni recounted.
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With his injured wife in his arms, he managed to pull her about 30 metres from the river’s edge. But the ordeal was far from over.
The blood-scenting crocodile charged once more, intent on completing its deadly attack.
“At that moment, I was in a state which I still don’t understand. I used all and any means to scare off the crocodile, including throwing sand at it, and thank God Almighty, it retreated,” he said.
Virginia Nyoni is receiving treatment at Hwange Colliery Hospital and will be transferred to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo for specialist care.
According to The Herald, Ward 10 Councillor Lethukuthula Ngwenya, who visited the victim, condemned the dangerous water situation in the area.
She lamented the absence of boreholes which forces the community to rely on the perilous Zambezi River.
“The village has no borehole; their only water source is the Zambezi River, and this exposes them to the dangers of crocodile attacks.
“I am just glad that we didn’t lose her, but our people are not safe at all. If only we could have boreholes,” said Ngwenya.
Ngwenya also explained that despite the family’s inability to afford the US$1,000 transfer cost for specialist treatment, the Hwange Rural District Council intervened to provide an ambulance for the transfer to Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) spokesperson Tinashe Farawo confirmed the attack and urged communities to implement safety measures around water collection points.
“We can confirm that there was an incident where a woman was attacked by a crocodile and was rushed to hospital.
“What is sad is that this is the third incident in that same area within a short period.
“We encourage communities that use domestic water from the river, which is infested with crocodiles, to make sure that they barricade the area where they do their laundry and other chores so that it will be clear to see if there is a crocodile.
“This is a really unfortunate incident; we wish the victim well and a quick recovery,” said Farawo.
So far this year, crocodiles have tragically killed nine people and injured twelve nationwide, with Msuna-Kanjeza now emerging as one of the areas most affected.
