RITUAL AT MANTJOLO DAM TO APPEASE ‘GODS’

MBABANE – Two cows were yesterday presented to the Mantjolo Dam as sacrifice by Pots Construction to appease the ‘gods’ believed to be enthroned in the legendary pool.

This after an excavator plunged into the ground at the height of the ongoing construction of the Mantjolo River Crossing Project by the Ministry of Public Works.
The excavator was said to have been pilling rocks as construction continued when a wetland was discovered after some earth works. The driver is said to hav

e had a voice saying they were disturbing his rest. As he tried to drive away from the wetland, the excavator would sink even further, in the opposite direction.
Thinking his mind was playing tricks on him, the driver is said to have told his fellow employees that he had just heard what he described as a neighing horse.

Pots Construction management was notified of this anomaly and when further attempts to pull out the excavator it suddenly broke down. It has been stationary at the same spot for over a month now.
Construction at the site where excavator plunged was almost at a standstill. Workers said it would take heavy machinery to uplift the excavator. It then dawned to the company’s management that the warnings issued by the Mnisi elders as construction began could have been actually true.

Augustine Mandlenkhosi Mnisi, one of the Mnisi clan elders, confirmed having warned the company not to be excited about having won the tender for construction of Mantjolo River Crossing without having sought permission from the legends at the Mantjolo sacred dam.
However, he said his advice was not taken seriously, until this happened.

The unanticipated wetland ope- ned where the road is mapped.
“Most people think that it’s all just about the Mantjolo Dam itself, no. There are other no-go areas here as you can see the many wetlands around. You can’t just come here, make noise and think because you are a bit farther from the pool it is all fine.”
The Mnisis, together with the Pots Construction and Ministry of Public Works employees, spent about two hours at the enclosed dam yesterday where the two cows were tied to a tree as the animals were presented to the Mantjolo Dam.
Everyone had to take off their shoes as the ritual was performed after which water drawn from the dam was used to clean everyone and the cows.

Thereafter, one beast, a black cow, was led to the contractor’s offices site where it was slaughtered while the other brown one was left behind at the fenced dam. It was later explained by delegation leader, John ‘Kholwa’ Mnisi that the cow left behind now belonged to the ‘gods’ in the dam and was not to be killed or driven out.
The cow was left to graze at the shores of the pool. The slaughtered cow is to be eaten today by everyone as per the custom.
The two Minisi brothers, Augustine Mandlenkhosi and John ‘Kholwa’, sons of the late Hendrick, who was appointed leader and overseer of Mantjolo, had earlier warned of unprecedented havoc to those disturbing the peace where the legendary Mantjolo Dam is situated.

The duo had come to the Times offices about two months ago, to issue the warning at the height of the ongoing battle over ownership of the land with the Swaziland National Housing Board (SNHB).
They said the noise and the unsanctioned earthworks by outsiders going on there was the perfect recipe for disaster.
“We didn’t want get involved in the whole saga since only the country’s authorities are the ones to make a ruling but the gods at the Mantjolo Dam have instructed that we issue the warning. I have been shown as to what is to come after the land has been seized from the Mnisi people. It is going to be bad,” Augustine declared at the time.

It is said one of the colonial masters drowned, together with his tractor, and was never found after failing to heed a warning from strange voices to stop making noise with his tractor as he tried to divert water from the dam.
Pot Construction officers, who were present yesterday shied away from this reporter when asked for an interview. Following the ritual, one of the Mnisi clan members said the excavator would now be freed but no specific date or time could be revealed.
However, Augustine shared that the ‘gods’ should be appeased while adding that it shall be revealed after the ritual had been completed.

“What you should understand is that the ritual is not yet complete, this is just the beginning. But there are other aspects of the ritual that I cannot share with you. The ritual is not over, that is all I can say for now,” said Augustine.    

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