African Healer Drowns During Tribal Ritual

HARARE, Zimbabwe — A traditional healer drowned because his followers thought his magical powers enabled him to breath under water for 48 hours, police said today.

Lovemore Mpofu, 40, drowned during a tribal cleansing ceremony at a dam in southwest Zimbabwe, a police spokesman said.

When Mpofu plunged into the water but did not resurface, his followers believed it to be part of the ceremony, the spokesman said. The followers, who were “trainees” of the traditional healer, danced and sang on the banks of the dam for two days as they awaited his return.

Relatives of the traditional healer reportedly told police that they believed he was killed by a mermaid living in the dam.