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Two suspected border jumpers wait to be rescued after being marooned along Limpopo River in Beitbridge yesterday. — (Picture by Thupeyo Muleya)

Herald Reporters
THREE children drowned while swimming in Mushawiri Dam in Gutu on Monday as nine people were marooned in separate incidents in Chivi and Beitbridge. National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said the three children were aged nine, 10 and 14 and their names were still being withheld.

“Two of the bodies have since been retrieved by the Police Sub Aqua Unit while the remaining body is yet to be retrieved,” he said.
Of nine people marooned, seven were on an island along the Tugwe River in Chivi while the other two were border jumpers who sought to cross illegally into South Africa through the Limpopo River.

Chief Supt Nyathi said the Chivi seven were rescued yesterday morning by the Sub Aqua Unit.

“Two of the seven were herding cattle along the river and the other five were fishing when the river suddenly flooded,” he said.

The two border jumpers were marooned yesterday on an island near Dulibadzimu Gorge while attempting to illegally cross into South Africa through the Limpopo River.

The man and woman in their 30s were spotted by a Zimbabwe National Water Authority employee Mr Francis Chiteni when he reported for duty at around 6:30am who then alerted the Civil Protection Unit.

The island is located between the stream which feeds the town’s water treatment plant and the Limpopo.
“I saw the two when I reported for work at around 6:30.

“I then started communicating with them through sign language ordering them to go to a higher place while I called for help.
The district Civil Protection Unit chairperson Mr Peter Moyo said they have since contacted the Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Musina Emergency Services to help with the airlifting of the two border jumpers.

“We received a report at around 7am and since then we have been making efforts to rescue the two. We have been communicating with them through a hailer that they should stay at a higher ground while we are working towards assisting them,” he said.

Figures from the Meteorological department reveal that Beitbridge received a total of 10mm of rain between yesterday morning and 8 am today.

“It has become to the attention of the ZRP that the country is likely to experience an increase in rains in the coming weeks leading to flash floods,” said Chief Supt Nyathi.

“We therefore appeal to people living in low lying areas to take precautionary measures by moving to higher grounds during periods of floods,” he said.

He said they should quickly report incidents of flash floods to the police so that the Civil Protection Unit would be alerted.
Chief Supt Nyathi also urged the public to seek shelter at appropriate places to avoid being struck by lightning.

Early last year, 34 other people were marooned for two days at the confluence of Bubi and Limpopo Rivers in Tshikwalakwala area.
The group was later airlifted to higher ground by the Air force of Zimbabwe.

A further 200 people were left homeless in Chaswingo, Chituripasi and Tshikwalakwala in the eastern part of Beitbridge when their homes were destroyed by rains.