BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI & BRENDA NCUBE
Two women from Hwange, Jambesi under Shana, are currently admitted at Victoria Falls Hospital after a traumatic crocodile attack at Matetsi River.
Our organization, VicFallsLive, visited them at the hospital, where we witnessed their struggles firsthand.
Initially, the women agreed to conduct an interview, but later declined, stating they were “sorted” and didn’t need assistance with medication or food.
However, their relatives revealed that they are in dire need of injections and food, both in the hospital and at home.
It became apparent that the women had lost trust in organizations and individuals who had promised to help but disappeared after allegedly coming to interview them and taking records since their admission almost two weeks ago.
We then contacted Fanuel Mudimba, the councillor for Jambesi ward seven, who provided context to the attack.
According to Mudimba, the women were fishing at Matetsi River, a community river where villagers are legally allowed to fish in when they were attacked by a crocodile.
One woman was severely injured on her left arm, while the other sustained injuries on her fingers and arm while trying to rescue her companion.
The councillor highlighted the growing concern of human-wildlife conflict in Jambesi, where residents live in fear of crocodile and elephant attacks.