MUTOKO’S UNDOCUMENTED MAWANGA FALLS AND A SECRET JOHN BRADBURNE MEMORIAL

Tucked away in Mutoko’s Mawanga ward lies Gwaze village, a largely undocumented site now drawing quiet attention for its dramatic 100-metre falls and a lesser-known memorial cross dedicated to John Bradburne, the English missionary revered across Zimbabwe for his life of service among leprosy patients.

Located approximately 17 kilometres from Mutoko centre along the Nyamuzuwe road, with a turn-off near Tsiko Primary School, Gwaze village has earned a reputation among those who know it as a place of wonders, owing to both its striking natural scenery and its deep spiritual associations. The undocumented waterfall, cascading roughly 100 metres down a rugged rock face, remains largely unknown beyond local communities, despite its scale and visual drama rivalling more established natural attractions in the region.

Perched nearby is a memorial cross bearing the name John Bradburne, Servant of God, along with the years 1921 to 1979, marking the life of the man whose story has become deeply woven into the spiritual and historical fabric of the Mutoko district. Bradburne, an English lay member of the Third Order of Saint Francis, spent the final decade of his life serving as warden of the Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement near Mutoko, caring for patients who had been abandoned by others. He was killed in 1979 during Zimbabwe’s liberation war, having refused to leave the leprosy patients under his care despite the escalating conflict around him. In 2019, the Vatican formally opened the cause for his beatification, granting him the title of Servant of God, a designation now inscribed on the memorial cross overlooking the Gwaze landscape.

While Bradburne’s official burial site lies at Chishawasha Mission near Harare, memorials and sites of pilgrimage associated with his life and legacy continue to be discovered and revered across the wider Mutoko area, reflecting the enduring reach of his story among local communities. The presence of such a memorial in Gwaze village, alongside the striking natural falls, has led locals to describe the area as a place of deep spiritual connection, one that remains largely unexplored by outsiders.

For now, Gwaze village stands as something of a hidden gem, an undocumented natural and spiritual landmark that may, in time, attract greater attention from pilgrims, historians, and travellers drawn to both its scenic beauty and its ties to one of Zimbabwe’s most quietly revered spiritual figures.

Article source and image credit: Bernard Kasekete