Manjuzu, a mermaid spirit believed to endow its worshippers with wealth and a good life, has grown popular among young women desperate for good fortunes in life.

Whether the direct benefits are real or imagined is open to debate but what is clear is many women now claim to be “Manjuzu”.

Many of them are believed to being initiated into the manjuzu cult in return for a prosperous lavish life but the oath consequences are said to be dire.

Caroline Mhenza, a Manjuzu based in Chitungwiza revealed her lifestyle following her initiation into the cult.

“Everything is just super, I’ve never had any misfortune of any sort since my realisation that ndine Shave re njuzu.

“I have all that I need in life, zvitori bho, no problems.”

She said the cult is not harmful and that is a wrong perception spread by Christians.

“In fact, ma Christians vanoda kuzviita vatsvene vachitaura zvavasingazive.

“Hakusi kuromba or anything, varipandiri vanondionesa zvizvhinji, I do all I can se munhu akasarudzwa,” she said.

Another manjuzu who preferred anonymity revealed his experience.

“People don’t understand that hakusi kuromba, zvinhu zvakauya ndisina kutsvaga.

“Handisini ndakazvitsvaga asi ndakasarudzwa.

“Ndinoona zvakawanda and chipo chandakagara ndinacho handina kuzvisarudza.

“Kuti zvese zvibude, zvifambe ndivo vakandigara,” he said.

Apostle Bigboy Kathumba based in Harare claims the water spirits that have spread among Zimbabwean youths, he spoke to H-Metro.

He said the spirit is an anti-marriage spirit and makes the manjuzu love partying and overdressing. He added that the mermaid gives the victims wealth for a short period before taking it away.

“The manjuzu is now a cult that has taken over among young people and has also spread into churches even praise and worship.

“Pastors are also into it, that is why muchinzwa kuti pastor awanikwa nemukadzi wemunhu.

“Vakadzi vazhinji vakaroorwa, vakafirwa, vari single vava kuita zve matare enjuzu kana kuti vava vana manjuzu.

“It’s also involving young men who have no working history but end up with unaccountable riches.


“There are signs that one is now a manjuzu or has mashave enjuzu.

“They wear silk glittery fashion and revealing clothes.

“They have too much love of jewellery with anklets, chain mumakumbo, ring pa guvhu, rurimi ne mhuno.

“Kuda kuzvimirira ega, kusada kutongwa nemumwe munhu.

“Vazhinji vari mumapoka aya emanjuzu vanoda ma party, mafaro ekudzoka mangwana kana mambakwedza.

“Chikwata chizhinji hachidi zvemba asi kufara.

“Manjuzu or marine spirits is an anti-marriage spirit.

“Hapana anonamata anoita zvebute.

“Kune bute rakasiyana siyana, bute rematare nebute rehondo.

“Vanasikana vazhinji vakutogara nenhekwe nana baba vechidiki vachi feeder ma twins (mhino)

“Manjuzu ine hukama nechivanhu zvizhinji.

“Njuzu inokupa pfuma kwekanguva yozokutorera,” he said.

He added:

“Anamanjuzu vanoda mafaro, vanorota zvinoitika uye vanorapa.

“Anamanjuzu vanoenda kumvura ne Rice ne ma Sweets asiri emamint, vanoti njuzu inozokachidzwa

“Vanoenda nehwahwa hwemumabhodhoro ma Strettons.

“Hakuna chinonzi kugeza munyama asi kuti munhu anenge achirooreswa kumhiko dzekumvura.

“Kumanjuzu kunodiwa commitment.

“Hazvishamise kuona munhu aine musoro we purple kana kuita sa Judge wemumatare edzimhosva.”

In an interview with H-Metro, Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA) president George kandiero revealed that bogus spirit mediums are on the rise duping young people desperate to attain wealth.

“We have noticed with sadness that young people especially ma salad, slay queens are being fooled into Manjuzu cult.

“Manjuzu is just a word for the water spirit and there are real water spirits, mashave enjuzu but this is not the case with these young people looking for wealth and a flashy life.

“We have an ethics committee which looks into these matters to ascertain true spirit mediums and the ones duping unsuspecting young people.

“These bogus mediums usually loiter around shops and prey on young beautiful slay girls and boys luring them into manjuzu stuff.

“They even take their victims to rivers telling them that mune shave renjuzu, hupenyu hwenyu hunochinja moita pfuma,” said Kandiero.

“There some vanenge vachiita sevane mudzimu asi iwo usiri, zvimwe mweya wetsvina or usiriwo, they need exorcism kuma church or anywhere nekuti hunenge watova huroyi.

“It is more like kuromba when these young people are involved in manjuzu stuff,” he added.

Manjuzu Cult Spreads As Young Women Crave Lavish Lifestyles

Cynthia Mbizi, a manjuzu medium says she now regrets taking up the rituals.

“I see things, mostly in my dreams.

“I’ve been able to tell people about events surrounding them.

“I don’t know how I can make this go away, people do not understand how I feel and I did not choose this,” she explained.

According to Mbuya VaChinjanja Muroro, a Development Practitioner with a passion for Cultural Heritage.

“Whatever is the source of this spirit, the common denominator is that it is associated with the water.

“Being possessed by njuzu automatically means that you have mudzimu while on the other hand having mudzimu does not necessarily mean you have njuzu.

“Njuzu is not owned by the medium but by the mudzimu and it is only the latter that has powers to remove it,” she said.

She added:

“In seeking assistance from masowe and n’angas most people are quickly told that they have njuzu, and have to buy satin/silk materials and do the ritual of cooking rice, chicken and wine and other things.

“They report that after doing the rituals, their problems became worse.

“They then conclude that njuzu is a bad spirit meant to torment them.

“In addition, the churches have what they call “marine spirits” which adds to the confusion.

“A true shave renjuzu is never meant to torment its medium but has specific work that it is supposed to do.

“The problems come and in fact many problems of chivanhu/isintu come because of interference by bad spirits or procedures not being followed to the letter,” explained Mbuya Muroro.

The women who are into the Manjuzu cult are usually noticed by taking snuff, holding parties they call mabira where wine is drunk and people feed on rice and chicken; the women are also noticed by wearing beads and frequenting outing joints where they believe will be appeasing spirits which are responsible for their success – in a process they call kupembedza mashavi.