Pregnant woman, boy (14) die in croc attacks 

Source: Pregnant woman, boy (14) die in croc attacks | The Herald

Conrad Mupesa 

Mash West Bureau 

A pregnant woman and a 14-year-old boy were attacked and killed by crocodiles in separate incidents in Mhangura over the weekend. 

Although efforts to get a comment from acting Mashonaland West police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ian Kohwera were fruitless, sources from Mhangura Police Station said the two incidents occurred in Ward 11.

“We received two reports of a teenage boy and a heavily pregnant woman who were attacked by crocodiles in separate incidents in Ward 11, Mhangura constituency,” said the source.  “The first incident occurred at Ponderosa Farm on December 26.” 

The teenager, whose identity is not known, is said to have sat for his Grade Seven examinations this year. 

In the second attack, a heavily pregnant woman identified as Anna Chikaya of Alfa Farm, a stone’s throw from the former mining settlement of Mhangura, was attacked and dragged into Alfa Roses Dam while she was trying to apply fishing bait. 

A witness, Mr Audrey Ziyampapa who tried to rescue the woman said she was attacked when she was washing her hands after applying the bait. 

He said her body was retrieved some few hours after the incident and had deep cuts on one hand and her back. 

Mhangura legislator Cde Precious Chinhamo Masango said it was disheartening that a lot of people were being killed by crocodiles around the constituency. 

“The woman who was attacked was wife to Cde Biggie Katena the Zanu pf chairman for Alfa Roses branch,” she said. 

“We are told that she had gone to apply fishing bait at Alfa Roses dam where she intended to fish later before a crocodile attacked her. We have seen a number of attacks that resulted in loss of human life and we want to encourage community to be careful while we also call upon Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife to respond to response of human-animal conflicts in time to avoid loss of life.”

In April this year, an 18-year old woman and her 11-month-old baby from Onapathali in Mhangura died after being attacked by a crocodile while fetching water. Mrs Esnath Mavhangira was fetching water for gardening while carrying her daughter, Susan Chiwanza, on her back when the crocodile attacked. She was dragged into the dam and they both drowned.