Zimbabwe: 'It Was a Sacrifice', Says Diver As He Relives Harrowing Budiriro 3 Sewer of Death Retrieval Operation

SUB-aqua diver Victor Kazembe risked his own life by descending into a sewer-filled trench in Budiriro Sunday night to recover what rescuers believed was the body of one drowning victim.

Instead, he emerged later having recovered three bodies from the murky pit in a chilling operation he describes as the most mysterious and disturbing of his 16-year career.

The tragedy has shocked Zimbabwe and sparked renewed scrutiny over safety standards at municipal infrastructure projects after a rescue mission turned into the recovery of three lives lost in a mud-filled excavation linked to ongoing sewer rehabilitation works.

Kazembe, also known as 'Coach Rambo', is a seasoned diver who has participated in numerous recovery missions since 2008. He said the Budiriro operation was unlike anything he had encountered before.

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"It is painful to lose loved ones through this kind of death. Drowning in a sewer is heartbreaking," Kazembe said.

"Since 2008, this is the first mystery I have encountered. We were looking for a man who had reportedly fallen into the trench. I expected to retrieve a man wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but what we found was completely different."

The mission posed extraordinary risks.

Unlike conventional water rescues, the trench was filled with thick sewer sludge, making diving extremely dangerous. Kazembe said standard diving procedures do not permit operations in mud because oxygen systems can malfunction.

"We do not normally dive in mud because it is dangerous and oxygen tanks do not function properly in those conditions. I went down carrying an oxygen tank only for emergencies. It was a sacrifice so that these souls could finally rest in peace," he said.

Emergency services had been called after reports that a man had fallen into the trench while attempting to cross the area Sunday evening.

Residents said they watched helplessly as the victim disappeared into the sludge.

According to witnesses, the excavation had remained open for months after contractors dug up the area in February.

"They dug the place in February and we expected them to close the trench, but they never did," said one resident who witnessed the rescue operation.

"When the man fell in, we tried to help him but could not. The trench was full of thick sewer sludge and he could not hold onto the branch we tried to use to pull him out."

The resident said police were alerted first, followed by the Harare Fire Brigade, but neither was able to retrieve the victim from the sewer-filled pit.

The situation changed when Kazembe and the sub-aqua rescue team arrived.

What followed stunned rescuers and residents alike.

The first body recovered was not the man they had been searching for, but that of a young woman believed to have gone missing the previous day.

Kazembe returned underground and recovered a second body, again not the reported victim.

Only after a third descent into the trench, shortly before dawn, did he recover the body of the man whose fall had triggered the rescue operation.

One of the bodies appeared to have been trapped beneath the sludge for several days, raising further questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Kazembe said he remains puzzled by how he managed to locate the additional victims.

"If I had found the body we were looking for first, I would have retrieved it and come out, leaving the other two beneath the trench," he said.

"Their souls led me to the other bodies. If it was not for that I would not have encountered them."

The grim discovery prompted immediate action from Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume, who ordered an urgent investigation into the deaths.

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In a statement, the City of Harare confirmed that what began as a rescue operation for one victim ended with the recovery of three bodies.

The incident has intensified concerns about safety measures at council construction sites, particularly as Harare battles aging sewer infrastructure and ongoing rehabilitation projects.

Residents are now demanding accountability and stronger safeguards.

"We call on the local authority to ensure these trenches are properly covered and that maintenance work is completed on time so that people do not continue losing their lives," said the witness.

Zimbabweans have hailed Kazembe's courage, saying his willingness to enter a deadly sewer trench brought closure to families who might otherwise never have recovered their loved ones.

For Kazembe, however, the operation remains a haunting memory.

After 16 years of rescue work, he says Budiriro stands apart--not only for the danger involved, but for the mystery that led him to three souls instead of one.