BEFORE delving into details concerning this week's 'strange and mysterious piece', Yours Truly joins fellow Zimbabweans in mourning two Insimbi ZeZhwane group members who recently perished in a road traffic accident along Hwange-Victoria Falls road.
The now late lead vocalist Elvis “MaEli” Mathe and drummer Thembinkosi “Maviri” Mpofu lost their lives when their Toyata Hilux veered off the road and hit a tree after a burst tyre soon after Fatima High School turn off on their way to Bulawayo.
They were coming from Binga where they were supposed to stage a show which, however, did not materialise due to a communication breakdown with organisers.
The injured were later ferried to nearby St Luke's Hospital in Lupane were while others were transferred to Mpilo Hospital, Bulawayo. At the time of writing this article survivors were reported to be recuperating while others had been discharged.
Government chipped in a massive way through meeting all medical expenses for the injured band members as well as funeral related issues.
The area where the unfortunate incident happened is widely referred by locals as a 'black spot' due a number of accidents occurring and have been largely attributed to potholes and sharp curves.
The Tsholotsho-based group is gradually proving to be a force to reckon within the music and entertainment industry and are certainly destined for greater heights.
May their departed souls rest in eternal peace.
A lot has been said concerning travelling on our country's roads which do not need any form of introduction in terms of safety and other related issues.
Talking of roads, there are some routes within Hwange district which are synonymous with 'black spot' type of description and some have monikers such as 'Four Mile Drive', Five Mile Drive among others whose strange tales are difficult to fathom.
Last week Yours Truly wrote an article on why Mount Nyangani is sometimes called "The Mountain that swallows people" due to intermittent disappearances that would befall any visitor to the mountain who would not have followed laid down cultural norms upon climbing this natural feature.
Such scenarios are said to have also 'colonised' some areas in the coal mining town of Hwange and Truly Yours can vouch for after having coming across such steroids happenings.
In the colliery concession of Hwange there are about five residential suburbs namely Lwendulu, Sinderella, Madumabisa, Lusumbami and Makwikwa which are under purview Hwange colliery company.
There is a major highway popularly known as Four Mile Drive which somehow acts as catalyst on linking Lwendulu with the above mentioned suburbs within the concession with the exception of Sinderella.
However, travelling along this road which is also known as 'Ngicela igwayi' loosely translated "may I have some tobacco".
Travelling on this road is not for the faint-hearted due to strange happenings.
A certain well known driver (name supplied) who regularly uses his personal vehicle for private commuting errands, recently came across a very huge black mamba snake purpotedly crossing the road, but could not see its head or tail.
This however happened during day time.
He reckoned that the snake's diameter or size was similar to those wooden poles usually used to support electricity transmission lines.
And this happened at a place where there are huge boulders on the left side of the road going towards Madumabisa suburb.
He had to make an abrupt U-turn at an alarming speed fit for car racing enthusiasts.
There was also this bus driver from a leading coal mining company who in the middle of the night offered two ladies clad on what looked like all white dresses.
As he was about to pass the above mentioned boulders, those two ladies just vanished from the bus without any trace much to the dismay of the driver as he was to be alone at the time of this incident.
Some few years ago, Yours Truly was also driving along this particular highway a few minutes before midnight when he came across a middle aged man holding a helmet and also what looked like a knapsack or satchel on his back.
The man was standing by the roadside as if waiting for transport going the opposite direction. Yours Truly nearly stopped to enquire why he was standing all by himself in such a notorious place.
However this did not happen as some sixth sense decided otherwise.
Upon narrating the story, Yours Truly was advised and simultaneously warned that he had actually came face to face with the notorious 'Ngicela Igwayi' who has caused a number of serious accidents and some of them fatal on this particular road.
On what happened to Yours Truly is anybody's guess.
There is also the mysterious Five Mile Drive and Madumabisa Mountain Range where some followers of a religious sect are allegedly said to have left their shepherd stuff (induku/tsvi bo) and other ecclesiastical belongs behind as strange animals were in hot pursuit upon them.
It said the religious sect leaders had gone on a prayer expedition.
Weird things do happen and Hwange is no exception.
Till we meet again in the next column.
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