THE LEGEND OF MOUNT NYANGANI

"Hike with me baby. Let's disappear into the mountains", Yvonne wrote

Such lines don't have to end in my fiction novels. You can hike up Nyanga Mountains and disappear - Literally

If your ancestors are strong, we'll see you again.

You won't remember what happened but at least we'll have you back.

Ancestors, yes. I prefer to leave God out of it because I believe that He put that mountain far away, at the end of Zimbabwe, so that we don't reach it and get lost. Yet here we are, hiking it unprovoked

QUICK FACTS
Name: Mount Nyangani
Height: 2,592 m (Highest mountain in Zimbabwe)
Location: Nyanga, Manicaland
Claim to Fame: Swallowing people
Scenery and Views: 10/10

It's beauty is to die for, literally!

Ok so I don't know what Nyanga/Nyangani means in Shona. But in Ndebele, iNyanga means a MOON or a WITCH DOCTOR (Traditional Healer).

So what if that's where the secret lies? Like there is an ancient NYANGA up on the mountain who takes people and uses them for rituals?

People disappear for real!

DISAPPEARED FOREVER

1. The Masaya twins (Children of government official Tichaendepi Masaya)
2. 8 year old Robert Ackhurst
3. Zayd Dada The Indian
4. UnNamed locals
5. Many liberation fighters
6. School boys on a trip
7. Many John and Jane Does

WHERE ARE THEY

They are said to be in a state of suspension.

I assume they are in a place like purgatory.

Kuthwa, if the correct rituals are done, they’ll be released.

LOST AND FOUND

1. A known government official lost for 4 days. Says it felt like a few hours. He wasn't hungry or tired. Traditional leaders stepped in and helped dlozically (Spiritually)

2. A British Tourist - Said he lost a lot of weight that night! (Quick weight loss tips)

MYTHS/BELIEFS

1. When boulders fall from the mountains into the river below, the water turns into blood (Red)

2. Trees talk and laugh like the Ents in Lord of the Rings. If you respond or laugh at their accents or get shocked (Because why would you be shocked by talking trees? ), you're GONE. Mist will engulf you and you'll disappear. So if a tree talks to you, kindly ignore it

3. If you come across strange colourful snakes, a smouldering clay pot with no fire anywhere or a brick of gold… Keep it moving!
Pretend you didn't see that gold

Do the spirits know how a brick of gold can change my life?

4. When lost, expect a lot of strange snakes and animals with shining red eyes to come at you. Ignore them

If they talk to you or the snakes lick you, IGNORE

You react, you disappear

5. The weather and terrain are bad so people get lost

Fair enough. But this would hold weight if the bodies were found after the weather clears, No?

I mean, helicopters, the army, police, Park people and local search parties looked for lost people for days and didn't find them

WHAT'S TAKING PEOPLE

1. Mermaids [I feel like everyone blames women (mermaids) for everything] "

2. Spirits - Guardians of the Galaxy... I mean Mountain

3. An evil vindictive spirit called Nhando

NHANDO - THE VINDICTIVE SPIRIT

Many years ago in Nyanga area (then Guruuswa) in Manicaland (then Tanganyika) ruled a chief called Makombe Humba.

Makombe's daughter was married off to a N'anga (Traditional healer/Witchdoctor) called Muchachani Simboti.

He had superpowers and was feared in the region.

Chief Makombe wanted protection from Witchdoctor Muchachani’s supernatural powers, so he gave him part of his land – the Ndume or present day Nyanga Mountain

[Wait, so father-in-law paid son-in-law Lobola? ]

Anyways, the land with the mountain now belonged to Muchachani

Fast-forward, Muchachani gave his grandson, Firakutumwa AKA Mufambanhando custody of the area with the mountain

Let's call the grandson Nhando

Nhando was a warrior so he would occasionally do warrior stuff like fighting off enemies and going to war etc, you know, warrior things

Nhando was sold out by his friend Sinyoro and died and was buried in Chivhu on Chikapakapa mountains (The stories about Chikapakapa) but moving on.

His nephew Mutasa forcefully took over his uncle’s area.

So Nhando’s descendants lost their chieftainship and were driven away

Nhando 'heard' or 'felt' what had happened. Hanti he was dead in Chivhu, 328 km away

He somehow 'found out' and he Lazarused (Woke up from the dead) and teleported to Nyanga but it was late. His nephew had his magic stick and used it to ward him off (Can't trust family!)

That was over a century ago but the Ndebele say "Icala aliboli" so Nhando’s spirit is still upset and he still wants to reclaim the area.

So there you have it. It's Nhando that's taking people on the mountain!

Ok Nhando is not always grabbing people off the mountain. Like some powerful spirits, he has a medium. Spirits need living humans to speak through

When he's OFF, people hike and come back in one piece and start saying this legend is a lie because they came back unharmed

Still don't believe it?

Ok so Oomf went and consulted Nhando’s medium a.k.a Sekuru Nhando.

He was told that all those who disappeared are still in the mountain and are now grandchildren, including the Indian man.

His words were, “I'm sad because my children don’t have a place of their own. They're refugees everywhere without a place to call their own. Look closely, the water is drying up. I won’t rest until my children reclaim what's theirs. People will continue to disappear"

Ya hey!

My suggestion is that: We find powerful nyangas then call a meeting with the spirit and find out how to appease him.

Some of us want to hike Nyangani but we don't want to disappear

Question: Why do people keep climbing, knowing that some never returned? Suicidal much?

All I'm saying is; leave a goodbye note and a will before going up that mountain, just in case!

But ke, soon after quarantine I'm going up. I'll record the hike

I'm low key hoping to see the talking trees and colorful snakes

I'll pack a Bible and a Rosary

THE END