Southern Africa, like many other regions, has a rich tradition of mermaids, mermen and other water spirits. In Zimbabwe, mermaids and water spirits are referred to as Mondao. Zimbabwean folklore portrays merbeings as pale-skinned needle toothed monstrosities that live in rivers and enjoy pulling fishermen and swimmers under the waves to their death.

In the country of Zimbabwe mermaids have long featured prominently in various myths and legends. Although many see such tales as just spooky lore, there are apparently quite a few Zimbabweans who believe that they actually exist, and incidents or sightings involving mermaids often crop up here.

In 2012, work being carried out at the Gokwe dam in Midlands and the Osborne dam in Manicaland, on reservoirs near the towns of Gokwe, Manicaland, and Mutare, was suspended because workers refused to go to work because they claimed to have been terrorized by the mermaids lurking there, which were said to look like pale-skinned humans with black hair and fish tails. The workers were originally supposed to do repairs and install water pumps there, but became frightened when some people in the area mysteriously vanished and others reported being attacked or chased by these merbeings. Things with the stalled project got so bad that the Zimbabwe Water Resources Minister, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, appeared before a parliamentary committee to explain the situation. Nkomo said that white workers had been brought in because they were not as steeped in such lore, but even they claimed to have spotted the creatures and also refused to go back to work. Rural and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo also made arrangements to have tribal chiefs of the area perform rites and rituals to appease the creatures, if only to put the workers’ minds at ease.