 |
| Enos Size (centre) with members of Midlands Chidren's Hope Centre |
Three cousins drowned in White-Waters Dam at The Village Escape Resort in Gweru where they had gone to celebrate Christmas Day together.
According to Sunday Mail, the tragic incident occurred at around 3.10 pm with Anesu (19), Randal (19) and Kudzai (17) Mudondo of Plot 13 in Kwekwe drowning while their hapless parents watched.
"Following the unfortunate incident, it has emerged that there were no life-savers at the resort that offers boat riding and cruising facilities," noted the respected weekly.
On Christmas Day in 2014, I was at the resort, and a similar incident occurred.
 |
| Whitewaters resort near Gweru |
Only in May, Midlands State University student Talent Marunga (19), pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce honours degree in Economics, drowned in the dam, while villagers who live in the area claim up to 20 people have lost their lives at Village Escape since Size took over. Their claims could however not be independently verified.
What shocked me the most is Size's lackadaisical approach to the whole thing. Size is the owner of the resort but has insisted he is not responsible for the dam.
“Accidents happen. I am not the owner of the dam. There are sign posts at the entrance and other points that one can swim at their own risk,” said, the businessman, who is regarded as the Obert Mpofu of Gweru, owning quite a number of buildings in the Midlands capital, and at one time employing more workers than the Bata Shoe Company.
Gweru City Council leases the resort to him.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) sub aqua unit later arrived at around 9 pm and conducted a search. The children were only retrieved at around 10 am the next day.
“We feel that our children’s lives could have been saved if there were life-savers at White-Waters,” said Mudondo.
First and foremost, Gweru residents have always known that there is Whitewaters dam, and never bothered visiting the place, save for a few members of the Gweru Boat Club.
It was only when Size turned the place into a resort that locals started trooping to the place, now re-named The Village Escape.
As a matter of fact, the residents had to part with as much as $4 each for adults, and a dollar for kids.
What disturbed me is how Size, a community responsibility guru who single-handedly ran Queen Of Peace Rehabilitation home in Harben Park a few years back, has seemingly lost points on the sanctity of human life.
How much is it to hire two or three lifesavers, especially for big events? Can he honestly look at journalists in the face and tell them that lives are lost at swimmers risk, without his conscience troubling him?
I know Size as having done a lot by, among other things, contributing towards the construction and refurbishment of the Central Methodist church at corner Ninth Street/Leopold Takawira Avenue. He even refused to have party t-shirts printed while running a campaign as the Zanu PF candidate for Gweru Urban during the 2013 plebiscite, choosing rather to buy kitchenware for all local churches. Unfortunately Sesel Zvidzai from the MDC-T won the seat.
Christianity is about reaching out to lost souls, so how about saving lives at Whitewaters for a start, Mr Size?
And over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Is the Sub-Aqua Unit just there to retrieve dead bodies from rivers and dams? Why not set up base at such gatherings?
Is it by design that the ZRP motto "Pro lege, Pro patria, Pro populo (For the law, For the country, For the people)," places people at the far end? But pamaroadblocks?
Commenting on the Whitewaters developments on my popular Nhasi muGweru Facebook account, Samantha Mapfunda said: "So sad..zvakaoma..whitewaters yave nenyaya dzakawandisa."
Kudzai Juliet Mudema had this to say: "....No emergency action taken nothing was done. Asi ma 4dola ekupinda vabhadhariswa havo zvakaoma."
Here are a few other selected responses:
Charles Chapxanya: "Too bad close it coz its a BLACKSPOT."
Rebecca Murwisi: "eish its so sad ...why cant they employ swimmers to assist especially in times of need like this or u go there at your own risk....zvakaoma sure."
Lorraine Mukundu: " You know nxa disappointed."
Clemence Kasinganeti: "Sad news indeed.but uyo Size hagoni kutaura."
Maria T. Vhunga Tembo : "Size wacho haana moyo how can he say accidents happens."
Lawrence Nyariti: "They should employ a life saver. It's a great resort spot and they should not just aim for people's money but should also invest in their safety. To the bereaved family tochema pamwe."
No comments:
Post a Comment