THE Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and Livingstone City Council Fire Brigades are still searching for the body of a 28 year old woman of Livingstone who drowned in Zambezi River on Saturday afternoon.
Marian Nyendwa drowned in Zambezi River between 15:00 hours and 16:00 hours on Saturday as she was swimming with her colleagues at an area located over a kilometre from ZAWA’s Dry Manzi Recreation Centre.
ZAWA Senior Wildlife Warden for the Southern Region Lusizi Mwale said the Authority was working closely with Livingstone City Fire Brigade to search for the body.
In an interview in Livingstone yesterday, Ms Mwale said ZAWA had alerted its counterparts on the Zimbabwe side of Zambezi River to help in the search efforts for Ms Nyendwa’s body.
“Unfortunately the body has not yet been to be retrieved from Zambezi River and we are working closely with Livingstone Fire Brigade and our search efforts are continuing today (Tuesday).
“We have alerted our colleagues on the Zimbabwean side to help us in the search. The body usually floats on the third day,” Ms Mwale said.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the deceased and her colleagues accessed Zambezi River through Dry Manzi and then walked a distance of over a kilometre where water was fast flowing where she drowned.
Ms Mwale also dismissed claims by some Livingstone residents that Ms Nyendwa drowned at Dry Manzi Recreation Centre.
She said the area around the recreation facility had no water currently while swimming was not allowed at the site when there was enough water because the place was in Musi-oa-Tunya National Park.
“Yes we received a report from her family was that Ms Nyendwa had entered through Dry Manzi Recreation Centre but the place where she drowned is further away from Dry Manzi Recretation Centre.
“Some people are thinking people are drowning at Dry Manzi and yet there is no water and we don’t allow swimming at the facility,” Ms Mwale said.
She said it was important for people to follow National Park regulations whenever they were in the Park.
“The Zambezi River may look terrain but fast flowing water is dangerous as it has high presence of hippos and crocodiles which pose a danger to human life,” Ms Mwale said.
Meanwhile, Ms Mwale said she was not aware of the two other bodies which were recovered from upstream of Victoria Falls in Zambezi River early this week.
She said the duo could have accessed Zambezi River using other points aware from Dry Manzi Recreation Centre.
Too much poverty. Cant afford a swimming pool?
A swimming pool at home is even more dangerous to kids
So, what recreation activities take place at Dry Manzi madam Mwale?
“Meanwhile, Ms Mwale said she was not aware of the two other bodies which were recovered from upstream of Victoria Falls in Zambezi River early this week.”
This woman is telling a blatant lie. I can confirm that two other persons drowned at the same venue, one being my young sisters’ son aged 22, who is being buried today in Livingstone.
In short, three people died at this facility. Two are already in the Living General hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem this morning.
Comment:This place known as dry manzi should be closed immediately and investigations conducted. Its unfair to continue loosing lives at de same place without taking any action. My heart is bleeding
These are sacrifices.Somebody somewhere has an alter nearby.Prayers are needed.