By Charles Mgbolu
On Sunday, March 3rd, 2024, 12-year-old Luckmore Magaya and his 10-year-old sister Peace were ushered into the meeting room of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who gave both children a big hug.
Luckmore and Peace were being honoured for their very heroic act, which saw them confront a massive crocodile that had snatched their mother in its jaws and dragged her into a river.
The president said he was gifting the children $5000 each for the death-defying encounter that saw them save their mother’s life.
The incident happened two months ago on the banks of the Mupfure River in Mhondoro, a rural community, 114 kilometres west of the capital Harare.
On Sunday, January 17, Blantinna Magaya and her children were fishing with nets on the river bank when suddenly a crocodile burst from the river's murky depths and grabbed her leg.
Luckmore and Peace barely had moments to think before instincts took over.
‘’I grabbed my mother and held on to her while my younger sister placed a leg on the crocodile’s head and attacked its eyes with a stick,’’ Luckmore recounted to villagers after the attack.
But the reptile would not give up, thrashing its body ferociously in the river as it attempted to pull Magaya further into the river, but the children fought to keep their mother above water. The result was a deathly tug of war.
‘’The reptile was so powerful that it almost tugged us all into the river,’’ said Luckmore.
Luckily, the crocodile was beginning to grow tired, and its grip on their mother slackened. Then it let go.
The exhausted children quickly pulled their mother from the river and screamed for help.
In a statement on X, President Mnangagwa said he was ‘’inspired’’ by their courage.
‘’I've taken on their education fees and awarded them $5,000 each. Let's nurture such bravery and compassion in our youth,’’ he added.
An emotional Blantinna Magaya, who was at the meeting, also praised her children’s bravery, saying, ‘’I don’t remember anything that happened when these children woke me up, all I remember is seeing them on top of me when I was about to be dragged into the river for the third time by the crocodile.’’
Zimbabwe’s Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, ZimParks, however, warned that people should not approach water bodies known to have crocodiles.
According to ZimParks, about 50 people were killed in 2023 alone, while 85 others were injured in similar attacks.
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