A Pool Steeped in History and Legend
For the first time in over 600 years, the famous Gonawapotera pool went dry in July this year (2024).
The pool, nestled beneath the Chivaarira mountains, had to be replenished with water from the Shashe river source by opening the flood gates at the Driefontein dam. This phenomenon has brought to light the pool’s mysterious past, shrouded in myths and legends.
Years ago, divers attempted to reach the bottom of the pool, which stretches over a kilometer, but failed. This year, as the pool dried up, people walked along the dry river bed from the Shashe bridge and discovered it was only 10-15 meters deep🐵
Gonawapotera has a rich historical background, dating back to the early Mhazi generation, who fought wars for the Chieftainship after the demise of Mhepo around 1820, the originator of the Chirumhanzu Chieftainship.
Between 1820 and 1853, the area experienced devastating family wars and tribal conflicts, including the notorious Madzviti invasions. The pool was believed to be a graveyard for wayward clan members and a site for witchcraft rituals, where suspected sorcerers were drowned using rocks.
Today, Gonawapotera is revered for its healing properties, with the Apostolic church of Mwazha considering it a sacred site for spiritual deliverance. Healing rituals are performed daily along the pool’s banks, and people from various denominations and traditional backgrounds flock to the area for spiritual and physical healing.
The name Gonawapotera, meaning “a place where help is afforded,” reflects its significance in the Karanga vernacular.
Upstream, larger pools exist, believed to be inhabited by mermaids, which withstood the modern time populace’ s invasions or probably the drought conditions that ” may” have caused the Gonawapotera pool to dry up.
The Shashe river, upstream from the pool, holds more secrets, including a flora plantations that refuses to be willy nilly chopped down. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has successfully harnessed water from the Shashe river without incident, but the pool’s mysterious aura remains.
Now that the pool’s waters have been replaced by dam water, it remains to be seen if more stories will emerge or if the legends will fade away.
A visit to the Chaka area may uncover more secrets about Chirumhanzu’s mystical world.
Am out of here… @ chinamhora ( secetary general-; Chirumhanzu Chieftainship and Development Trust)
