What seemed like a routine fishing expedition went horribly wrong for Mr Windas Sianene Muleya from Binga District in Matabeleland North Province who would end up losing both his legs and an arm when a crocodile savagely attacked him in the Zambezi River.
Mr Muleya (45), a father of two, nearly bled to death after
the beast viciously tucked into his flesh.
The once resourceful Mr Muleya is now forced to rely on
others for mobility, after his independence was brutally stripped away from
him.
His face, etched with pain and hardship, is a map of his
struggles.
Deep lines crease his forehead, and his eyes tell a story
of sorrow and sadness. His skin is parched and dry, a testament to the harsh
conditions he endures daily.
Mr Muleya’s story is one of tragedy and loss; a life
forever changed by a brutal encounter with a crocodile on that fateful day in
September 2022.
And his struggles are far from over. Climate change is
exacerbating the challenges he faces, making his daily life even more
precarious.
Before the devastating crocodile attack, Mr Muleya was the
primary breadwinner for his family, including his 88-year-old mother, Ms Dorica
Munkombwe.
He supported his loved ones through fishing and farming,
but the tragic incident left him unable to provide for them.
Mr Muleya recounted the fateful day when he visited Kavhira
Forest near the Zambezi River in the Mlibizi area, where his family’s cattle
were grazing on the lush pastures.
“After releasing the cattle, I decided to go fishing in the
Zambezi River, a routine activity I was used to. As I made my way to a nearby
island to fish, my three friends went elsewhere, leaving me alone. For about 20
minutes, I sat on the island, waiting for a catch, when suddenly a herd of
elephants emerged, surrounding the island and blocking my escape route,” he
said.
In a desperate bid to escape the menacing elephants, Mr
Muleya made the treacherous decision to swim across the crocodile-infested
river, covering a distance of about 10 metres to reach the riverbank in front
of him.
He said as he waded neck-deep into the water, a crocodile
suddenly struck, attacking his legs.
“In a matter of seconds, the predator had torn off my left
hand, leaving me screaming in agony. The crocodile then dragged me under water
and targeted my legs once again,” he said.
In a daring and instinctive move, Mr Muleya said he thrust
his remaining right hand into the crocodile’s mouth, attempting to choke it.
“As I continued to scream for help, my three friends, who
had initially left, returned to the scene and joined forces to fight off the
crocodile. Together, we managed to overpower the beast, and it finally released
its grip on me but the damage had already been done,” he said.
Mr Muleya said he almost bled to death from the severed
hand and legs adding that he is lucky to have made it to Mpilo Central Hospital
in Bulawayo where both legs and the remaining part of the left arm were
amputated. Sunday News
Mazomarmar manje na Dambudzo 
