KWEKWE
–
A
soldier
is
feared
dead
after
he
was
last
seen
being
dragged
into
the
deep
waters
of
the
Munyati
River
by
a
crocodile
on
December
30,
police
said.
The
incident
happened
on
a
stretch
of
the
river
in
the
Saltana
Ranch
near
Kwekwe.
Sergeant
Invin’ca
Gamunya’s
body
has
not
been
recovered
and
a
search
involving
police
divers,
the
army
and
Zimparks
continues.
The
34-year-old
who
was
attached
to
53
Infantry
Battalion
in
Battlefields
was
on
deployment
at
the
Kavinga
military
base
inside
the
Saltana
Ranch
when
he
offered
to
assist
three
women
cross
the
flooded
Munyati
River.
After
helping
the
women
to
successfully
get
to
the
other
side,
Gamunya
was
attacked
by
the
reptile
as
he
swam
back
across
the
swollen
river
just
after
4PM.
The
women
first
approached
Sergeant
Innocent
Chikuturudzi
to
help
them
cross
the
river,
but
he
declined,
according
to
police.
Gamunya,
who
overheard
their
conversation,
then
offered
to
assist
the
women
without
seeking
the
authority
of
his
superiors.
When
Chikuturudzi
became
aware
that
Gamunya
was
gone,
he
sent
a
soldier
Private
Emmanuel
Usaiwevhu
to
run
after
him
and
summon
him
back
to
base,
according
to
police.
“When
Usaiwevhu
got
to
the
river,
he
saw
Gamunya
on
the
other
side
of
the
river
with
the
women
already
gone.
He
signalled
him
to
return
to
the
base,”
an
internal
police
report
of
the
incident
seen
by
ZimLive
stated.
“Gamunya
got
into
the
river
intending
to
cross
and
when
he
was
about
seven
meters
in
the
water
he
screamed
for
help.
Usaiwevhu
quickly
noticed
that
he
was
being
whisked
away
into
the
deep
waters
by
a
crocodile.
He
tried
to
assist
by
throwing
stones
in
a
bid
to
scare
away
the
reptile
but
all
was
in
vain.”
Usaiwevhu
told
police
that
the
crocodile
dragged
Gamunya
for
about
50
meters
before
submerging.
Police
divers
have
been
scouring
the
river
looking
for
Gamunya’s
body
and
the
crocodile
without
success.