TRIP TO INYANGA: DEPUTY SHERIFF SLIPS INTO WATERFALL, DIES

BHUNYA - A Lubombo deputy sheriff (46) died tragically, in front of family members, after he slipped and fell into a waterfall.

The incident happened at Usutu River, Bhunya, on Sunday afternoon. The Deputy Sheriff, Mciniseli Bhembe, of KaMkhweli under Siphofaneni Inkhundla in the Lubombo Region, left his home together with six other family members to see a traditional healer, Joseph Sukumani ‘Tallman’ Dlamini, whom they wanted to perform some rituals to find a member of the family, who went missing about nine months ago. It is worth noting that there are two waterfalls where the incident happened and they are about two metres apart. On the other hand, the traditional healer lives at the Usutu River banks, where he built his consultation rooms and carries out his work there.

Missing

According to the deputy sheriff’s uncle, Majahodvwa Bhembe, since it had been about nine month since the member of their family, Tibonele Bhembe, went missing, Mciniseli suggested to the his family that they should consult the traditional healer and maybe he could perform rituals to assist them in finding him or knowing what happened. The missing family member is believed to have left the country for South Africa, where he was hustling, but never came back and could not be reached on his cellphone. Majahodvwa said they then embarked on the journey to consult the traditional healer. At Malkerns, they bought bread and soft drinks, he said. He stated that when they arrived in Bhunya in the afternoon; they sat on a rock towards the Usutu River to eat the bread and the soft drinks.

While they were eating, he said they saw a person and asked for directions to the traditional healer. He said the individual showed them the directions and after eating, they proceeded on their journey. He highlighted that as they were talking to the individual, they did not pay much attention to him, such that they did not notice where he went after giving them the directions. He said they only focused on the journey ahead. Thereafter, the grieving uncle said when they reached the river, they had a debate that some of them, in particular the older family members might not be able to walk on the rocks and cross the river. He said as they were debating on that, Mciniseli went closer and he slipped and fell into the waterfall.
“He just sank into the river,” the uncle said.

He said they called the police, who responded by sending a team of officers, who included scuba divers. He said the scuba divers found his body in the river, where he had fallen.
Majahodvwa said because of the incident, they ended up abandoning their journey to the traditional healer. This publication visited the traditional healer at the Usutu River yesterday, and he said he started living there around 2019 and this was after he was called by some spirits. He said he was shocked when he was visited by the police on Sunday afternoon, who told him that one of his prospective clients had drowned in the waterfall, which is further up from where he lives.

He said he was shocked, because he did not understand who directed them there as it is difficult and dangerous at the same time for people to walk near the waterfalls. “Akuhanjwa lapha,” he emphasised in vernacular. He said even when he wants to go to the waterfall, he performs some rituals before getting into the water.  “I suspect there is someone who is evil, who always misleads people to go via the waterfalls because not long ago, someone drowned along the river. In fact, there are a number of people who have drowned in the waterfalls,” the traditional healer said.

He said he believes the person who misleads people is evil because from the bridge on the main road to Bhunya, his home and the path leading there are visible. However, he said, somehow, they continue to cross the bridge and meet the person who then misleads them to go via the waterfalls. The traditional healer also confirmed that after the incidents, his prospective clients abandoned their journeys to see him. When asked about his name, ‘Tallman’, as he is not a tall person, he said the name belongs to the snake that gave him the powers to assist people. He said it is the same snake that took him through a series of secret ceremonies and rituals required to become a traditional healer (kutfwasa).

Confirmed

The drowning was confirmed by Acting Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer, Inspector Mazwi Ndzimandze, who said a 46-year-old man of KaMkhweli fell into a waterfall and drowned while at Usuthu River in Bhunya, on Sunday afternoon. He said his body was recovered by the police on the same day. In mid-November, this publication reported the tragic drowning of a man at Manzamnyama River, witnessed by his fellow church members during a ritual prayer. The incident occurred on a Friday evening, while the deceased, along with members of his Zion Church congregation, had travelled to the prominent river at Zombodze to conduct a kuphahla (prayer) ceremony.

It was noted that the man, a regular churchgoer from Siteki, had often visited the river with his congregation for such rituals, and this was a common practice for them. Visiting the river for various spiritual purposes, particularly purification rituals, is a well-established tradition. Members of the Red Gown Sect are among those who frequently make such pilgrimages to the river.

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