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Walter Nyamukondiwa
Mashonaland West Bureau Chief
TUCKED in a thick foliage and undulating hills lies the Chidzuwi Pool in Alaska, imbuing a sense of calm and serenity, mystery and tied to the souls of more than 200 miners who perished when a shaft collapsed in the 1960s.
Following the death of the mine workers, sequels of that dramatic day have persisted to this day.
From reportedly seeing people at night with miner’s helmets, typified by a torch, worksuits and gumboots to reported sighting of a white man walking his two dogs on a leash, the place has been a theatre of mysteries.
Could these be ghosts of people who died in the mine shaft collapse?
To the locals, the sightings only occur when one carries evil charms.
“A lot of people have seen strange things starting from around 7pm along the road, a stone throw away from the pool,” said Mr Rekerani Kuyeri.
“You will see people putting on their work suits and helmets with torches on the forehead. I have never encountered the ghost alone.”
Illusion or reality?
He said those who had charms had challenges passing through the area.
Some people reported seeing the ghosts walking in front of them before trying to catch up with them, only to realise that they suddenly disappear.
After the mine collapsed, the bodies of those who were trapped were removed through a tunnel that leads to what is now a field.
“All the bodies were buried in what is now used as a farming field. Their graves were lined up in the area leading up to the Alaska Substation,” said Mr Kuyeri.
However, years later, a white man used graders to remove the graves and started growing crops.
From that time strange things have been occurring including encounters with supposed ghosts, locals contend.
Chidzuwi Mine was a thriving copper mine before water filled the open cast mine in hours.
It was the hub of a maze of interconnected tunnels linking Blackwood and Heinz mines.
After it’s flooding induced closure, the operation moved first to Heinz Mine before moving to Blackwood Mine which stopped operations around 1990.
“We went to school in the morning as usual, but we were shocked to see everything submerged in water on our way back home,” said Mr Kuyeri who was a secondary schoolboy at the time.
The resultant sleeping pool led to the discontinuation of mining activities.
Earth’s bleeding could not be contained following supposed pricking of the nerve connecting the site with the Chinhoyi Caves Sleeping Pool.
Resultantly, a picturesque landmark has emerged.
A well chiselled man-made cliff overlooks the calm waters providing perfect conditions for fishing, sightseeing, boating and swimming.
The Chidzuwi Pool has since become a lifeline for people in surrounding areas who draw water to drink and other household uses.
“We used to draw water from the pool for drinking and other household uses before a borehole was sunk at the nearby Korekore Cultural Village,” said Mrs Felistas Gwededza.
Another villager, Mr Terence Yobe said people swim and fish in the pool while cattle and people share the water.
“The water maintains a constant level. We do not know how deep it is but some estimate it’s depth to be around 600 metres or more,” said Mr Yobe.
Tour operators have been allured by it’s mysticism to include it on their itinerary.
The water changes colour during the course of the year, from a deep olive green colour to sky blue and sometimes taking a murky ashen colour.
“From around October the colour changes to a sky blue colour. I would like to think that the changes could be as a result of the copper,” said Mr Kuyeri.
It’s sunken location, which is hardly visible from the Alaska-Copper Queens Road betrays it’s loaded history and contemporary usefulness as a recreational facility, water source and sacred place where rituals are undertaken.
Ritualists and spiritualist often undertake rituals at the pool.
Mr Yobe who stays a spitting distance from the pool said a lot of people including those from the apostolic sects and traditional healers often undertake their rituals at the pool.
“Some conduct all night vigils, singing and clapping while others beat drums, play mbira and sing all night,” he said.
Before the mine collapsed, a truck had sunken into a crater that opened but the drive managed to escape.
A few metres away from the mine site, a 165HP tractor sunk into a crater that opened up and was never recovered.
All the equipment could not be salvaged when the pit filled up.
Mr Kuyeri has fond memories of when they used to eat guavas and mangos from trees which have since been submerged in water.
“We used to go into the pit as young boys before it was covered by water. However, all the trees were covered by water and I am sure they have all dried up,” he reminisced.
Online Reporter