dyton mupawaenda
Conrad Mupesa-Mashonaland West Bureau
The haunting sounds of lions roaring and hyenas barking filled the air, casting an unsettling ambiance over our surroundings as my colleagues Tamuka Charakupa, Tinotenda Zirongwe, and I found ourselves in a predicament after our truck got stuck in the sand deep in the mighty Kariba jungle.
After our vehicle got stuck in the shifting sands of the silted Nyaodza River, we faced a chilling decision to stay put or try to rescue ourselves.
With no chance of help and only the eerie calls of the jungle’s predators to keep us company, we threw caution to the wind!
The experience was pulsating and adrenaline-fuelled. We were 40 kilometres away from the bustling resort town of Kariba after having covered nearly 190km of our journey from Siakobvu, when we got stuck thanks to our ‘ingenious’ decision to take a shortcut that would have cut our journey by half nearly 200km.
Siakobvu is nearly 400km from Kariba if you follow the longer Zvipani-Magunje-Makuti route.
With our fuel running low, we opted for the perilous Makande-Gatshe Gatshe-Nyaodza River route.
As fate would have it, the route surely became perilous for us. Our first instinct was to try and call for assistance but we struggled to connect with the outside world through our phones—as they only had a single bar that was utterly useless—we soon realised we had to be our own survivors.
Dislodging our truck from the shifting sand took over two exhausting hours of concerted effort. We pushed and pulled the car while our friend who was behind the steering wheel guided us from inside.
The truck was lodged deep in the sand up to its chassis. We first had to dig it out using our bare hands.
Just as we started, I experienced a gut-wrenching shock after I spotted lion footprints nearby!
Fear washed over us, and for a moment, we questioned the wisdom of trying to dig out our truck, which exposed us to the perilous dangers lurking in this jungle teeming with wildlife that could pounce on us anytime.
Tino, who kept his cool, sobered us up and urged us to focus on the task at hand. After countless attempts, using car floor mats and rocks as makeshift tools, we began to inch our vehicle free from the clutches of the sand.
Every push only yielded a few centimetres of movement, but we were relentless in our pursuit!
At 12:30 am, with the sounds from the jungle growing louder, we managed to free our vehicle and we heartily jumped in, tired but happy that we could finally be on our way again, with the sounds now more of a muffle behind the comfort of the secure cabin of our truck.
“Why did they say the road was passable?”
“What about the Nyaodza Bridge?” we quizzed each other, bewildered but grateful to be alive.
As we made our way we recounted events earlier in day that influenced our decision to use this perilous road.
We had attended a commissioning ceremony at Malembeja Primary School in Nyaminyami, celebrating the opening of three new schools built by the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s ADRA Zimbabwe, with support from the Japanese Embassy.
The excitement of community development filled us with hope, but the reality of our journey reminded us just how challenging travelling to this area can be.
The next morning, we were back on the go, covering the unveiling of an innovative waste-water treatment plant by Padenga Holdings at the Nyanyana Crocodile Farm, which promises to bolster the company’s revenue and environmental sustainability.
While chatting with locals who travelled that infamous road, we heard a chorus of “It’s in great shape!”
Even traditional leaders dissuaded us from taking the longer route and to use the Makande-Gatche-Gatshe-Nyaodza Bridge path which seemed like the faster option. But as it turned out, it was quite the opposite!
Just as we felt more comfortable, we found ourselves in more problems after our truck got stuck in mud near the Makande Business Centre.
Just as despair was beginning to creep in, some local men appeared with oxen and carts. They offered to help—at a price, of course.
“Where has the Ubuntu and oneness gone?” one of my colleagues pondered aloud, but I couldn’t help but chuckle as I shouted back, “Welcome to the 21st century!”
The oxen pulled our vehicle out in under a minute, and just like that, we parted with US$20, leaving us wondering if our shortcut was really worth it.
Despite the seemingly convenient route, it hasn’t received rehabilitation in years. It’s the primary route used by the people of Nyaminyami to get to Government services in Kariba town.
While work continues on the Siakobvu Government complex, the locals remain reliant on this road, despite its challenges.
Though many opt for the safety of the longer route, the mythos of the Zambezi River looms large — a place of beauty that has seen many lives lost to capsized boats.
Until the road receives the attention it desperately needs, travellers in this rugged terrain will keep paying the price as they navigate the unpredictable landscape between Kariba and their homes, through the wild!
Online Reporter