Online Reporter
Sifelani Tsiko-Fact Check Editor
Recent social media debates in Zimbabwe have encompassed several trending topics. One of the major ones is on Unidentified Flying Objects – alien life and mysterious objects in the sky.
Declassified Pentagon files have revealed mysterious sightings over the then Harare International Airport in 2008, rejogged people’s memory of the 1994 Ariel School incident in Ruwa, where over 60 schoolchildren reported seeing silver craft land and encountered humanoid entities.
In addition to this, is the baffling mass sighting and the existence of “alien bases” at Mount Nyangani. These reports have gobbled up a huge chunk of screen time for people in Zimbabwe and across the world, with the emergence of the declassified reports making waves on various media platforms.
What sparked interest in UFOs again among Zimbabweans and other people across the world?
Firstly, it was a report by former CIA operative Lyn Buchanan, who participated in the Cold War-era “Stargate Project” (a government programme exploring “remote viewing”) who said that Mount Nyangani in Zimbabwe, along with locations in Alaska, Australia, and the Pyrenees, conceals an underground extraterrestrial installation. In short, Mount Nyangani is one of the bases for aliens.
The second stemmed from the release of more than 300 declassified files dating back to the 1940s by the Pentagon. The release sought to give the public full disclosure around what it knows about alien life and mysterious objects in the sky. On July 2, 1998, an unidentified object was observed hovering over Harare International Airport, now known as Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. This triggered concern and interest of the Pentagon.
The CIA report stated that the craft “hovered at an undetermined altitude directly over the Harare airport,” prompting concern among observers. On this day, at Zimbabwe’s main airport observers reportedly saw something described as “disc-like in shape with a hollow centre and had a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe.” Debate around these reports also prompted social commentators to write a series of articles, touching on disappearances on Mt Nyangani, Ariel school incident and the airport event.
What do UFO enthusiasts or investigators say?
“Unidentified Flying Objects are a subject which is much misunderstood: partly because of poor media attention, partly because of inadequate support from the scientific community and partly because of the absurd claims of cult followers who attach themselves to the subject. The end result is that authoritative data rarely gets to the general public and the UFO phenomenon as a whole attracts ridicule. – John Spencer in UFOs: The Definitive Casebook aims to redress that imbalance.
Western knowledge vs Africa knowledge
Long before the Pentagon took interest in understanding UFOs, the Dogon people of Mali were the holders of incredible knowledge of astronomy. They possessed advanced astronomical knowledge about the Sirius star system.
Apart from the Dogon people, ancient rock art paintings dotted across much of southern Africa also depict profound understanding of the extraterrestrial phenomena.
All this has been acknowledged by historians.
Across the entire African continent, there are numerous reports on aliens and astronomy by spirit mediums and healers. The only problem is that there has not been concerted efforts to collect the raw and unfiltered data and knowledge on astronomy and UFOs. It is a fact that in areas, where some investigators have visited, numerous reports have been made.
Has anyone taken an active interest to investigate aliens in Zimbabwe?
Yes, there was an investigator who took interest in researching aliens in Zimbabwe for several decades. Cynthia Hind, who died in 2000, was a dedicated investigator who spent years investigating UFO sightings in Zimbabwe and on the African continent on behalf of the Mutual UFO Network.
In issues published – she captured reports on the following sightings in Zimbabwe:
Lake Mcllwaine (now Lake Chivero) on 26 July 1954.
“On July 26, 1954 Rhodesian pilot A. Roberts and a student pilot, R. Howarth, were flying a Tiger Moth near Lake Mcllwaine, in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) when the two witnesses saw a saucer -shaped silver object some 1 ¼ miles (2 km) above them, and about 6 miles (9 km) away.
Taking a closer look they saw that ‘it turned on its side and flew away at great speed’. However, as they reached the edge of Lake Mcllwaine they saw the object coming towards them, then maintained a station some 2½ miles (4 km) away. There were no potholes or external means of propulsion visible; they estimated the object to be approximately 40 ft (12 m) wide. The object disappeared at incredible speed.” – UFO Afrinews.
Beitbridge encounter 30-31, May 1974
“Peter and his wife Frances (pseudonyms) were travelling from Harare (then Salisbury) in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) to Durban in South Africa via Fort Victoria and the Beitbridge border, crossing over the Limpopo River on the night of 30/31 May 1974. Approximately 6¼ miles (10km) to the south of Umvuma, a small farming town amidst the dry desolate scrublands, Peter, who was driving, slowed down considerably as he knew he was well in excess of the speed limit.
He thought he saw a policeman on the road.
Frances saw a light off to the left hand side of the vehicle apparently keeping pace with them. The car lights began to fade.
Other electrical equipment in the car, such as the radio was unaffected; all around them there was a light bright enough to cast shadows. Both Peter and Frances felt remarkably cold and wrapped up in coats and blankets while they were driving.” – UFO Afrinews.
La Rochelle Estate, Mutare – 15 August 1981
“At around half past six in the evening Clifford Muchena, the principal witness, saw a ball of light near the tearoom on the estate. Many others also saw it. It was big and rolling towards the tearoom. It reached the observation tower, seemed to roll up it and appeared to set light to the inside of the tower although it later rolled back down the tower leaving no marks of burning behind.
The fireball gathered itself and moved across the lawns to a building known as ‘The Fantasy’ which was an outhouse designed for the protection of orchids grown on the estate. It was then that Clifford saw three men standing on the lawns. He thought it must have been a warden, Andrew Connolley and others, but then realised the figures were too tall.” – UFO Afrinews.
Matabeleland South – Encounter:
On 22 July 1985 a rash of UFO sightings occurred in the urban areas of Matabeleland South. At a quarter to six in the evening two Hawk fighters from the Zimbabwe Air Force were scrambled to intercept them. The fighters intercepted the UFO at 7 000 ft (2 130 m) but it launched itself upwards reaching 70 000 ft (21 336m) in under a minute.
Unable to chase, the Hawks returned to Thornhill Airbase where the UFO was seen disappearing at high speed on a horizontal path. Air Commodore David Thorne made the comment that follows: ‘As far as my air staff is concerned, we believe implicitly that the unexplained UFOs are from some civilisation beyond our planet.’ – UFO Afrinews.
The Lessons
Mass UFO sightings in Zimbabwe and across Africa and elsewhere across the world show that there is still a lot to learn and research on aliens. The earth is not the only place with inhabitants in the universe. Little is still known. Much remains among local communities whose sightings are rarely reported. Much of what we know is confined to those areas that UFO investigators have done some research.
It will be interesting for scholars and investigators to explore this field further. Renowned South African traditional healer and cultural historian Credo Mutwa (1921-2020) was well known for integrating African folklore with modern UFO and extraterrestrial phenomena.
He argued that UFOs are deeply woven into African history and cosmology, referring to them in Zulu as abahambi abavutayo (“the travelling fiery ones”).
