LATER INTERVIEWS |
ADULT TESTIMONIES |
New details added to the story in these interviews:
- While details vary depending on how much the child saw, Lisel speaks for the group ("We saw..."), incorporating details that she never mentioned before. It's likely the other children are doing the same when talking about the lights etc. There is now an "official version" which everyone sticks to.
- The UFO's lights are multi-colored and spinning.
- As well as dead ants, other insects and "all the living things" in the area also died.
Interview with Tineke de Nooij
March 1996 (18 months after the event)
Dutch presenter Tineke de Nooij interviewed the children in a large group for her show Tineke en de Paranormale Wereld. The quotes are again grouped by child, so are in a slightly different order than televised.
Dutch presenter Tineke de Nooij interviewed the children in a large group for her show Tineke en de Paranormale Wereld. The quotes are again grouped by child, so are in a slightly different order than televised.
MR MACKIE
DE NOOIJ: Mr Mackie, what was your first impression when you [---] one and half years ago?
One and half years ago. My first impression was that I thought the children were imagining what they saw.
Because there were no adults there?
There were no adults who saw it. There was only children at the school and [of] all the children in the playground, 250 of them, only 60 claimed to have actually seen it. So that actually made me more skeptical initially. Then we’ve had all the reporters, we’ve had Mack from Harvard University out here, I’ve changed my mind slightly. I believe the children did see something. Unfortunately I personally didn’t see it, so it’s very difficult for me to give my own personal opinion.
DE NOOIJ: Mr Mackie, what was your first impression when you [---] one and half years ago?
One and half years ago. My first impression was that I thought the children were imagining what they saw.
Because there were no adults there?
There were no adults who saw it. There was only children at the school and [of] all the children in the playground, 250 of them, only 60 claimed to have actually seen it. So that actually made me more skeptical initially. Then we’ve had all the reporters, we’ve had Mack from Harvard University out here, I’ve changed my mind slightly. I believe the children did see something. Unfortunately I personally didn’t see it, so it’s very difficult for me to give my own personal opinion.
LISEL P
Um, we were playing down over there on the on the log and then we saw something shiny so we all ran down over there.
And it was in the early morning?
It was at break time.
Yeah.
And then we saw something shiny and we saw two people. They were in black, tight black suits and they had big eyes and a small - we didn't actually see their nose, it was quite small and their mouth was quite small as well. One of them was running in slow motion up across the ship and the other one was standing beside the ship.
Yeah. you made a drawing huh? It looked like this?
Yeah something like that.
[cut]
You saw one UFO that's surrounded by little ones yeah?
Children: [speak at once, agreeing. “One big one with little ones around it.”]
One spaceship [---]
Let me see, let me see your drawing.
One big ship and then small ones surrounding it with, um, with - there were lights surrounding the ship.
Like Shaun said? This is Shaun’s drawing.
Yes.
CHILD: Yeah, basically.
Yeah, and okay, one landed, the big one landed and two aliens came out?
Yes.
And what happened with the little ones?
The little ones they were just flowing around.
CHILD: In the air.
They didn't, yeah, they didn't touch the ground.
And these made the silver lights?
Yeah, they were making different color lights, like green, red. [continued below with boys talking about the lights]
[cut]
You have nightmares about it?
Yes, I used to but then after about a year I stopped dreaming about it. I dreamed that the same one I saw without hair, he came into my bedroom and he took me from my bed.
Did you dream that?
Yes, and then I just screamed, I woke up and screamed.
And what did your mum say?
Well she she just kept on saying it was a nightmare. She didn't really believe me.
Um, we were playing down over there on the on the log and then we saw something shiny so we all ran down over there.
And it was in the early morning?
It was at break time.
Yeah.
And then we saw something shiny and we saw two people. They were in black, tight black suits and they had big eyes and a small - we didn't actually see their nose, it was quite small and their mouth was quite small as well. One of them was running in slow motion up across the ship and the other one was standing beside the ship.
Yeah. you made a drawing huh? It looked like this?
Yeah something like that.
[cut]
You saw one UFO that's surrounded by little ones yeah?
Children: [speak at once, agreeing. “One big one with little ones around it.”]
One spaceship [---]
Let me see, let me see your drawing.
One big ship and then small ones surrounding it with, um, with - there were lights surrounding the ship.
Like Shaun said? This is Shaun’s drawing.
Yes.
CHILD: Yeah, basically.
Yeah, and okay, one landed, the big one landed and two aliens came out?
Yes.
And what happened with the little ones?
The little ones they were just flowing around.
CHILD: In the air.
They didn't, yeah, they didn't touch the ground.
And these made the silver lights?
Yeah, they were making different color lights, like green, red. [continued below with boys talking about the lights]
[cut]
You have nightmares about it?
Yes, I used to but then after about a year I stopped dreaming about it. I dreamed that the same one I saw without hair, he came into my bedroom and he took me from my bed.
Did you dream that?
Yes, and then I just screamed, I woke up and screamed.
And what did your mum say?
Well she she just kept on saying it was a nightmare. She didn't really believe me.
BOYS
BOY 1: Yeah like they’d flash to green then they would go to blue -
LISEL: - blue and then purple
BOY 1: Yeah purple and then red.
BOY 2: But it was like it was going like each one to each one but quickly.
[3 boys mime the lights flashing around a circle]
DALLYN V (BOY 3): Like it’d go there and then vanish and then go there and vanish and there and vanish.
BOY 2: They were going quickly.
BOY 1: Like as if it was one ship moving in two places.
[cut]
DALLYN: I think the aliens came because they are curious like us and um well they want to learn about us and we want to learn about them.
BOY 1: Yeah like they’d flash to green then they would go to blue -
LISEL: - blue and then purple
BOY 1: Yeah purple and then red.
BOY 2: But it was like it was going like each one to each one but quickly.
[3 boys mime the lights flashing around a circle]
DALLYN V (BOY 3): Like it’d go there and then vanish and then go there and vanish and there and vanish.
BOY 2: They were going quickly.
BOY 1: Like as if it was one ship moving in two places.
[cut]
DALLYN: I think the aliens came because they are curious like us and um well they want to learn about us and we want to learn about them.
CLAIRE R
I couldn't see the eyes or the nose or the mouth. It was just blank, like a piece of paper.
I couldn't see the eyes or the nose or the mouth. It was just blank, like a piece of paper.
TERTIA N
(Sister of Luke N, who was interviewed by Hind in 1994. Her drawing shows sightings over two days. Hesemann misnames her Trisha.)
The day before the spaceship came, my friends and I were sitting in the playground and one of my friends - her name's Emily - she looked up into the sky and she said, “Oh there's a UFO,” she said. And I looked at it and she said, “No, just kidding, it's an aeroplane.” And we looked up and um, I thought to myself, That can't be an aeroplane because it was very shiny. It looked kind of like a cigarette, you know. It was a long thing, and then on the end it was all shiny. And um, so I said, “Maybe it is a UFO.” So we're all kind of like getting scared now and then um, the day that it happened, then we started thinking, yeah, that must have been a UFO in the sky. Because my brother also saw it but he's left the school now.
(Sister of Luke N, who was interviewed by Hind in 1994. Her drawing shows sightings over two days. Hesemann misnames her Trisha.)
The day before the spaceship came, my friends and I were sitting in the playground and one of my friends - her name's Emily - she looked up into the sky and she said, “Oh there's a UFO,” she said. And I looked at it and she said, “No, just kidding, it's an aeroplane.” And we looked up and um, I thought to myself, That can't be an aeroplane because it was very shiny. It looked kind of like a cigarette, you know. It was a long thing, and then on the end it was all shiny. And um, so I said, “Maybe it is a UFO.” So we're all kind of like getting scared now and then um, the day that it happened, then we started thinking, yeah, that must have been a UFO in the sky. Because my brother also saw it but he's left the school now.
CAMILLA
[holds up her painting]
Were they yellow?
No I didn’t have a silver crayon. So I did it yellow.
[cut]
Um, I heard this lady on TV, I think it was Jill Darke, and she said this lady got kidnapped and she had babies that were aliens.
That's what you were afraid of?
Yes.
[holds up her painting]
Were they yellow?
No I didn’t have a silver crayon. So I did it yellow.
[cut]
Um, I heard this lady on TV, I think it was Jill Darke, and she said this lady got kidnapped and she had babies that were aliens.
That's what you were afraid of?
Yes.
OTHER CHILDREN
BOY 4: It was - looked like a round shape. Sort of like a plate, so like two plates that was looked like on top of each other. Then there was looked like the hatch foot and also looked like in between two trees, you couldn't see that clearly and it was just silver all over. I didn't see any men or something like that.
GIRL 1: Where the spaceship had landed all the insects and ants and stuff like that were all dead and there was a huge black mark there. And my mom said it might have just been a fire there but I don't think there was, I think it was the alien ship.
You have gone to the place of, course, and have you seen anything?
GIRL 1: No, we weren't allowed there.
In evidence I mean, that it was there?
GIRL 1: Some other people came to the school and they went out the boundary of the playground and they went to go and see what had happened there, and they saw that the grass was burned and all the living things had died there in that area.
BOY 5: Some people say that um, people are saying that the aliens came to warn us - something's gonna happen, that something bad is going to happen to the Earth.
BOY 1: I think they came here to um, try and warn us, the children cuz we're young, we’ve got a long time till we die, to warn us that when we're older there's something gonna happen to the Earth.
BOY 2: Yeah and not to pollute. Because we're young, we can still prevent it.
Do you still have all that feeling that as a child you can do a lot? Yeah? Do you feel as a child, do you feel privileged or do you think next time if the UFO's coming please go to another school?
CHILDREN: No. It’s a privilege.
It’s a privilege that you saw it?
CHILDREN: Yes.
BOY 1: I’d love them to come back and we could see them again. Only this time, closer.
BOY 4: It was - looked like a round shape. Sort of like a plate, so like two plates that was looked like on top of each other. Then there was looked like the hatch foot and also looked like in between two trees, you couldn't see that clearly and it was just silver all over. I didn't see any men or something like that.
GIRL 1: Where the spaceship had landed all the insects and ants and stuff like that were all dead and there was a huge black mark there. And my mom said it might have just been a fire there but I don't think there was, I think it was the alien ship.
You have gone to the place of, course, and have you seen anything?
GIRL 1: No, we weren't allowed there.
In evidence I mean, that it was there?
GIRL 1: Some other people came to the school and they went out the boundary of the playground and they went to go and see what had happened there, and they saw that the grass was burned and all the living things had died there in that area.
BOY 5: Some people say that um, people are saying that the aliens came to warn us - something's gonna happen, that something bad is going to happen to the Earth.
BOY 1: I think they came here to um, try and warn us, the children cuz we're young, we’ve got a long time till we die, to warn us that when we're older there's something gonna happen to the Earth.
BOY 2: Yeah and not to pollute. Because we're young, we can still prevent it.
Do you still have all that feeling that as a child you can do a lot? Yeah? Do you feel as a child, do you feel privileged or do you think next time if the UFO's coming please go to another school?
CHILDREN: No. It’s a privilege.
It’s a privilege that you saw it?
CHILDREN: Yes.
BOY 1: I’d love them to come back and we could see them again. Only this time, closer.
CANDICE
Why do you all think these aliens came especially here in Ruwa? Do you have any idea?
I think they came to examine what it looks like, because even though you can see it from probably where they are, but they wanna come take a closer look how the grass grows, how the trees grow, and stuff like that.
GIRL 2: Maybe if we don't do what they were trying to tell us, they’ll probably come back and try to tell us again.
Why do you all think these aliens came especially here in Ruwa? Do you have any idea?
I think they came to examine what it looks like, because even though you can see it from probably where they are, but they wanna come take a closer look how the grass grows, how the trees grow, and stuff like that.
GIRL 2: Maybe if we don't do what they were trying to tell us, they’ll probably come back and try to tell us again.
MICHEAL
Well when they came, I thought they were crazy.
This is the first thing you thought?
I thought they were crazy, just coming to our school doing nothing. And all I saw was something like silver coming down and I said, “What must that be?” And everybody's crowding it. I must go crowd too. Then I went and I started crowding, and everybody - then more people came and more and then I said, “Hey I can't see anymore, come on somebody, I'm short, come on! And then I went to the front and I started seeing more of them, and then I just ran away.
[cut]
I wasn't scared a bit.
No? Not at all?
Nothing. It was all fun to me.
[cut]
What did you want to say?
I wanna know, when are we going to be on tv?
CHILD: You are on TV.
We'll send you the cassette.
Well when they came, I thought they were crazy.
This is the first thing you thought?
I thought they were crazy, just coming to our school doing nothing. And all I saw was something like silver coming down and I said, “What must that be?” And everybody's crowding it. I must go crowd too. Then I went and I started crowding, and everybody - then more people came and more and then I said, “Hey I can't see anymore, come on somebody, I'm short, come on! And then I went to the front and I started seeing more of them, and then I just ran away.
[cut]
I wasn't scared a bit.
No? Not at all?
Nothing. It was all fun to me.
[cut]
What did you want to say?
I wanna know, when are we going to be on tv?
CHILD: You are on TV.
We'll send you the cassette.
Interviews with Michael Hesemann
1997 (2.5 years after the event)
German UFO researcher Michael Hesemann visited Ariel School in March 1997 where he interviewed teachers and students. He wrote a two-part article in German for Magazin 2000 (he was the editor). He interviewed 44 children who had been 6-10 years old at the time:
Before asking them about the 1994 incident, he spent an hour answering their questions about UFOs: "Have I ever had a sighting or close encounter? Are the aliens a threat? Are there alien abductions?... and a bond of trust developed." He denies this constitutes witness tampering.
The following quotes are translated from German, so they are not the children's exact words.
German UFO researcher Michael Hesemann visited Ariel School in March 1997 where he interviewed teachers and students. He wrote a two-part article in German for Magazin 2000 (he was the editor). He interviewed 44 children who had been 6-10 years old at the time:
- 17 saw a silver dome-shaped craft
- 10% saw four or five small objects hovering near the large disc
- 27 saw one, two, or three occupants
- 50% mentioned big black eyes, 72% reported a shiny black skintight suit, 12% reported red or green suits
- 32% "believe[d]" the occupants visited to warn us about the destruction of the Earth [but Hesemann did not interview any child who reported telepathic communication]
- Some younger children thought they saw monsters or Tokolosche, not aliens
Before asking them about the 1994 incident, he spent an hour answering their questions about UFOs: "Have I ever had a sighting or close encounter? Are the aliens a threat? Are there alien abductions?... and a bond of trust developed." He denies this constitutes witness tampering.
The following quotes are translated from German, so they are not the children's exact words.
LISEL P
I saw several lights light up, about at the height of the dam [on the other side of the swamp -MH]. Suddenly we saw a strange silver thing. My friends and I ran to see what it was. It was round, like half a bullet of silver or a plate. Then we saw somebody get out of it. He wore a black suit and was quite small. And his eyes were big and black. They covered almost all of his face. The teachers were in a staff meeting. We went to tell them what had happened, but they wouldn’t believe us. Then they went outside with us, but the ship was gone by then.
Did the ship, as you call it, fly to the trees?
No, we only saw the lights flicker. Then, suddenly, we saw it near the rocks over there. Then we saw this person who came climbing out of it and stood and stared at us. We all got frightened then. That’s why we went to tell the teachers.
For how long did the sighting last?
I think it took three minutes until it disappeared.
Have all of the children seen it?
Yes, we all saw it. Almost everybody. I am sure everybody saw it because the playground was full of children.
That being that you saw, what did it look like?
We saw two people. One had long black hair, the other one was bald, and they both had large eyes. All the smaller children were afraid and crying. His skin tone was bright, he was quite short, had big, black eyes. I couldn’t see his nose; there was nothing. And his mouth was very small. He stood on our side of that thing, a second one on the other side. One of them had long, black hair, the other one was bald, and they both had these big eyes. All of it happened in front of the trees, but it was hard to look through the long grass.
What did you think when you saw the beings? What do you think they came for?
I think they came down to warn us, something that has to do with our world. When looking at them, somehow you could tell that they were harmless, they didn’t want to harm us. We all have exchanged each other's ideas of why they have come, and most children share my thoughts.
Have you often thought of it afterwards? Have you dreamt of it?
I dreamt of it, yes, I had horrible nightmares. I dreamt they were coming to my bed to fetch me. But that’s over.
Have you ever been to the spot where the ship had landed?
Not me. I was afraid. But our teacher went there, and she told us that she had seen lots of dead ants and dead birds lying there.
I saw several lights light up, about at the height of the dam [on the other side of the swamp -MH]. Suddenly we saw a strange silver thing. My friends and I ran to see what it was. It was round, like half a bullet of silver or a plate. Then we saw somebody get out of it. He wore a black suit and was quite small. And his eyes were big and black. They covered almost all of his face. The teachers were in a staff meeting. We went to tell them what had happened, but they wouldn’t believe us. Then they went outside with us, but the ship was gone by then.
Did the ship, as you call it, fly to the trees?
No, we only saw the lights flicker. Then, suddenly, we saw it near the rocks over there. Then we saw this person who came climbing out of it and stood and stared at us. We all got frightened then. That’s why we went to tell the teachers.
For how long did the sighting last?
I think it took three minutes until it disappeared.
Have all of the children seen it?
Yes, we all saw it. Almost everybody. I am sure everybody saw it because the playground was full of children.
That being that you saw, what did it look like?
We saw two people. One had long black hair, the other one was bald, and they both had large eyes. All the smaller children were afraid and crying. His skin tone was bright, he was quite short, had big, black eyes. I couldn’t see his nose; there was nothing. And his mouth was very small. He stood on our side of that thing, a second one on the other side. One of them had long, black hair, the other one was bald, and they both had these big eyes. All of it happened in front of the trees, but it was hard to look through the long grass.
What did you think when you saw the beings? What do you think they came for?
I think they came down to warn us, something that has to do with our world. When looking at them, somehow you could tell that they were harmless, they didn’t want to harm us. We all have exchanged each other's ideas of why they have come, and most children share my thoughts.
Have you often thought of it afterwards? Have you dreamt of it?
I dreamt of it, yes, I had horrible nightmares. I dreamt they were coming to my bed to fetch me. But that’s over.
Have you ever been to the spot where the ship had landed?
Not me. I was afraid. But our teacher went there, and she told us that she had seen lots of dead ants and dead birds lying there.
TERTIA N
Misnamed Trisha (this is Luke N's sister).
We saw a bunch of children gathering in one corner of the playground, and Amy [classmate] came and called to come along and look what it was. It was simply a shiny object over there in the bush. All the children said they had seen aliens and stuff like that, but the teachers only said: “Forget it, there was nothing.” I didn’t see aliens or anything like that, I am afraid I was too far away, only a shiny object, and there were many lights all around it.
Misnamed Trisha (this is Luke N's sister).
We saw a bunch of children gathering in one corner of the playground, and Amy [classmate] came and called to come along and look what it was. It was simply a shiny object over there in the bush. All the children said they had seen aliens and stuff like that, but the teachers only said: “Forget it, there was nothing.” I didn’t see aliens or anything like that, I am afraid I was too far away, only a shiny object, and there were many lights all around it.
EMILY W
[saw] this really shiny object in the bush. Everybody was standing around it, like Trisha said. Two girls saw it first and asked us to hurry, and there was this glowing thing in the bush over there. It was somehow round at the bottom, and then flat.
[saw] this really shiny object in the bush. Everybody was standing around it, like Trisha said. Two girls saw it first and asked us to hurry, and there was this glowing thing in the bush over there. It was somehow round at the bottom, and then flat.
TWO 10-YEAR-OLD BOYS
(7 or 8 at the time)
We saw such a silver thing over there near the trees. We had our long break, and we were not allowed to walk down the beaten path. The thing landed and stood there for maybe two or three minutes, then two or three people appeared who stood around the thing. It was like a comic - that thing had four legs and was quite big, and three people came out.
They had landed on an ant hill, and finally the thing lifted off again, about twice as high as I am tall [about 2 meters], and then it disappeared, it simply disappeared.
(7 or 8 at the time)
We saw such a silver thing over there near the trees. We had our long break, and we were not allowed to walk down the beaten path. The thing landed and stood there for maybe two or three minutes, then two or three people appeared who stood around the thing. It was like a comic - that thing had four legs and was quite big, and three people came out.
They had landed on an ant hill, and finally the thing lifted off again, about twice as high as I am tall [about 2 meters], and then it disappeared, it simply disappeared.
ROBYN S (11)
(was 8-9 at the time)
Suddenly everybody came together, everybody ran there, me too… Many said they had seen aliens and UFOs, and so I got frightened.
Were you able to recognize anything yourself?
I left the classroom quite early and saw that thing that had landed in the trees, and lights were shining… It wasn’t perfectly round, but rather oval, and the top was domed, it wasn’t flat. And lights went all around it. Doors or anything like that were not visible. My friends said they have seen three things come out, with round faces. I didn’t see them.
(was 8-9 at the time)
Suddenly everybody came together, everybody ran there, me too… Many said they had seen aliens and UFOs, and so I got frightened.
Were you able to recognize anything yourself?
I left the classroom quite early and saw that thing that had landed in the trees, and lights were shining… It wasn’t perfectly round, but rather oval, and the top was domed, it wasn’t flat. And lights went all around it. Doors or anything like that were not visible. My friends said they have seen three things come out, with round faces. I didn’t see them.
CLAIRE R (12)
(was 9-10 at the time)
We were in the schoolyard and saw a reddish light glittering in the sky and as it appeared and disappeared we ran down there. And we saw a big white silver glowing object, right by the rock, and we saw aliens in tight black suits, faces exposed, who seemed to be walking around like in slow motion. You couldn't really see the ship because it was like a huge light. But it was real. I was scared and excited at the same time and I was quite angry that the teachers didn't want to believe us.
(was 9-10 at the time)
We were in the schoolyard and saw a reddish light glittering in the sky and as it appeared and disappeared we ran down there. And we saw a big white silver glowing object, right by the rock, and we saw aliens in tight black suits, faces exposed, who seemed to be walking around like in slow motion. You couldn't really see the ship because it was like a huge light. But it was real. I was scared and excited at the same time and I was quite angry that the teachers didn't want to believe us.
From Part 2: Ages are in 1997, 2.5 years after the event. I have excluded quotes that Hesemann took from the BBC interviews (including one from "Amy H" which was actually Emily B).
I remember seeing something with black, pointed eyes, and it had a black suit, and there was this gold spaceship, and I saw people crowding in there, and so I went, to see what it was. I thought it was just a little monster. I was a little scared. It looked wrong because I've never seen anything like it. It moved a little slowly. It walked like a silly old thing... [The spaceship] was round and it was gold and it had lights on the top." Girl (9)
"We were playing in the 'jungle gym', suddenly I saw the whole school running. I looked and asked what was going on and everyone just screamed something like 'aliens' or something. And I looked over there and I saw something metallic and the sun was shining on it and it was surrounded by a row of lights... Because everything in Zimbabwe is so polluted and dirty, maybe they came to warn us about the garbage and stuff." Derrel T (12)
Spaceship: "It was big and silver and shiny." Cameron McP (11)
Spaceship: "Round on top and flat on bottom and silvery." Occupants: "Two came out and one sat on the surface." Phobe H-L (11)
"The spaceship was flat and silver and had this kind of round thing on top, that's where they sat before they came down. I saw three aliens, two in silver suits, one in gold. They went behind a tree and then they disappeared. There were three flashes." Emma Barbara N (10)
"It was a spaceship, and it was surrounded by a ring. It shone, shone hard. I saw two beings, they were small, very small and had big heads. And I saw a few details, they had very small noses and big eyes. They weren't that far away. I heard some kind of explosion the night before and my first thought was that their planet blew up and that's why they came to Earth." Amy O (10)
“I saw a silver luminous object standing on the ground. It looked like a big silver hubcap. That's what I saw. It was shiny, shiny, like polishing a hubcap." [like polished chrome, MH] Ian W (14) [Hesemann wrote that quotes from the 13 & 14-year-olds were from BBC interviews in 1994, but I have not seen an interview with Ian.]
"A silver object glittered over there in the bush. We saw little black creatures walking around. They looked like they had short antennae and big heads, and they were quite small, about level with the plane." Bradley R (12) and Bryan C (13)
"What I saw was what looked like a metallic rock, it was shiny and surrounded by all these lights." Struply (9)
"It was like a mirror, it reflected the sun, and we looked at it more closely and saw that it was in the shape of two saucers placed one on top of the other, and it was silver." John W (12)
"I remember seeing a spaceship that was shaped like a saucer and it seemed like there were little things around it." Tamarishka S (11)
"I saw a silver thing with lights on the surface. They were different colors. It looked like a frisbee and had a slight dome on top.” D.H. S (10)
"The object was silver and very bright. It was like it had been polished to give it a nice shine and it hurt the children's eyes, some of the big ones started crying and the object was so big... about 15 meters long. And [the being] was very skinny, he was wearing something like a black ski suit, like tight, tight plastic. It hurt your eyes if you looked longer, the day was so bright. Then (we) saw this black (being) with crossed arms and one shoulder leaning against the tree. (The beings) were ugly, skinny, very, very skinny, you could see their bones. The tall one was standing, you could see his ribs because the suit he was wearing was so tight... I thought they might attack us because we did something wrong or destroyed something that was valuable to them. Some people believed that the aliens came to warn us that Earth would be destroyed." Cary E (11)
"A spaceship with lights around it... One alien was black and two were red. They walked around and one sat down. They walked so weird." Karen S (10)
“The spaceship was shaped like a rock. It didn't move. Only when lights began to flash did it rise from the ground. These three people didn't look very nice. One sat on the spaceship. The beings were all black. Little things came out of their heads.” Craig A (9)
"A spaceship, bright, bright silver... and many small ones. [The beings] were walking around. You could see their ribs sticking out, they were so ugly. They had a long face and eyes like a cat. They walked like in slow motion. One walked around the spaceship... They wanted to study our earth, and maybe we did something wrong." Ashley B (11)
"I saw one person sitting on top of the ship and another walking around like confused. He walked towards us and back again. He was about our size. He was black and had long hair. He was very thin... It vanished in a flash.” Anna McB (12 or 13)
"We were playing in the 'jungle gym', suddenly I saw the whole school running. I looked and asked what was going on and everyone just screamed something like 'aliens' or something. And I looked over there and I saw something metallic and the sun was shining on it and it was surrounded by a row of lights... Because everything in Zimbabwe is so polluted and dirty, maybe they came to warn us about the garbage and stuff." Derrel T (12)
Spaceship: "It was big and silver and shiny." Cameron McP (11)
Spaceship: "Round on top and flat on bottom and silvery." Occupants: "Two came out and one sat on the surface." Phobe H-L (11)
"The spaceship was flat and silver and had this kind of round thing on top, that's where they sat before they came down. I saw three aliens, two in silver suits, one in gold. They went behind a tree and then they disappeared. There were three flashes." Emma Barbara N (10)
"It was a spaceship, and it was surrounded by a ring. It shone, shone hard. I saw two beings, they were small, very small and had big heads. And I saw a few details, they had very small noses and big eyes. They weren't that far away. I heard some kind of explosion the night before and my first thought was that their planet blew up and that's why they came to Earth." Amy O (10)
“I saw a silver luminous object standing on the ground. It looked like a big silver hubcap. That's what I saw. It was shiny, shiny, like polishing a hubcap." [like polished chrome, MH] Ian W (14) [Hesemann wrote that quotes from the 13 & 14-year-olds were from BBC interviews in 1994, but I have not seen an interview with Ian.]
"A silver object glittered over there in the bush. We saw little black creatures walking around. They looked like they had short antennae and big heads, and they were quite small, about level with the plane." Bradley R (12) and Bryan C (13)
"What I saw was what looked like a metallic rock, it was shiny and surrounded by all these lights." Struply (9)
"It was like a mirror, it reflected the sun, and we looked at it more closely and saw that it was in the shape of two saucers placed one on top of the other, and it was silver." John W (12)
"I remember seeing a spaceship that was shaped like a saucer and it seemed like there were little things around it." Tamarishka S (11)
"I saw a silver thing with lights on the surface. They were different colors. It looked like a frisbee and had a slight dome on top.” D.H. S (10)
"The object was silver and very bright. It was like it had been polished to give it a nice shine and it hurt the children's eyes, some of the big ones started crying and the object was so big... about 15 meters long. And [the being] was very skinny, he was wearing something like a black ski suit, like tight, tight plastic. It hurt your eyes if you looked longer, the day was so bright. Then (we) saw this black (being) with crossed arms and one shoulder leaning against the tree. (The beings) were ugly, skinny, very, very skinny, you could see their bones. The tall one was standing, you could see his ribs because the suit he was wearing was so tight... I thought they might attack us because we did something wrong or destroyed something that was valuable to them. Some people believed that the aliens came to warn us that Earth would be destroyed." Cary E (11)
"A spaceship with lights around it... One alien was black and two were red. They walked around and one sat down. They walked so weird." Karen S (10)
“The spaceship was shaped like a rock. It didn't move. Only when lights began to flash did it rise from the ground. These three people didn't look very nice. One sat on the spaceship. The beings were all black. Little things came out of their heads.” Craig A (9)
"A spaceship, bright, bright silver... and many small ones. [The beings] were walking around. You could see their ribs sticking out, they were so ugly. They had a long face and eyes like a cat. They walked like in slow motion. One walked around the spaceship... They wanted to study our earth, and maybe we did something wrong." Ashley B (11)
"I saw one person sitting on top of the ship and another walking around like confused. He walked towards us and back again. He was about our size. He was black and had long hair. He was very thin... It vanished in a flash.” Anna McB (12 or 13)
"I was playing by the swings and I saw everyone running to the dam so I put my packed lunch down and looked and when I got there I saw this yellow thing by the trees and then I saw these people, they wore black things and they jumped off the top of a saucer and they were like normal people but they walked so weird and I was scared, I didn't know what they were, I was scared and happy at the same time... We went with our teacher (to the site). There were dead birds lying around where the UFO had landed. And we saw kind of animal footprints and alien footprints. And the grass was still there, but it was kind of flattened, like something had walked over it. Some of the seventh graders that year also went there with a teacher and they said they saw burn marks and dead ants." Charlene S (9)
"I saw this shiny thing that had landed by the rock and I saw people coming out of there and I remember a whistling sound. I saw one come out, then I saw one go behind a tree and I ventured closer to check and I saw they were aliens but I couldn't believe it because I've never seen anything like it before. I wasn't scared, I didn't even think about it. It looked real.” Derel M (9)
“A silver round thing and three in the sky and three black objects running around. They had big eyes like a cat's eyes and they were really thin and tall." Camilla R (11)
"Some kind of spaceship with a black person sitting on it." Kelly van D (11)
"And I saw these black things running around and they had big heads and eyes like big soccer balls. Everyone shouted, 'Look at those eyes' and so did I, and the body was the color of a black swimsuit." Derrel T (12)
“I saw a figure that was all black. And inside it had a hole or something dark, dark black, near the hair. I couldn't see a face, just dark, dark black." Angela M (10)
"The beings wore black suits...they moved very slowly. There were three.” Daniel R (10)
"The extraterrestrial thing was already out (when I saw it). It was black and you couldn't really see his face, it was the color of our hats (i.e. reddish). You couldn't really see the face. It wasn't too big and not particularly small, somewhere in the middle. I think I recognized his legs and hands.” Nguano N (12)
"I saw aliens. One was green with large black eyes. One sat on top of the spaceship, the other came down in front of a tree.” Tpora R (10)
"Three men were sitting on a spaceship. I think they had a message for us." Tara K (9)
"I saw three men and one was dressed in black and one was dressed in silver and the other (third) was wearing black." Nickla A (8)
"I saw three people and I think they are aliens. Two wore gold suits, one black. I saw them disappear in a flash and then saw nothing. They were about my size. At first I thought they were people, but then I saw their big, slanted eyes.” Ptemba T
"Like a black man standing by the tree, but he was ugly, very ugly, and had black cat eyes, eyes like a cat but black. It moved very slowly, as if in slow motion, as if it were a robot that hadn't been oiled, so slowly that at times we couldn't see if it was moving at all or not." Elaine L (12)
“Maybe it happened because of the pollution. It's dirty everywhere here.” Brynie McC (9)
"I think they came because we pollute the world so much and they came to warn us." Doana C (11)
"I saw this shiny thing that had landed by the rock and I saw people coming out of there and I remember a whistling sound. I saw one come out, then I saw one go behind a tree and I ventured closer to check and I saw they were aliens but I couldn't believe it because I've never seen anything like it before. I wasn't scared, I didn't even think about it. It looked real.” Derel M (9)
“A silver round thing and three in the sky and three black objects running around. They had big eyes like a cat's eyes and they were really thin and tall." Camilla R (11)
"Some kind of spaceship with a black person sitting on it." Kelly van D (11)
"And I saw these black things running around and they had big heads and eyes like big soccer balls. Everyone shouted, 'Look at those eyes' and so did I, and the body was the color of a black swimsuit." Derrel T (12)
“I saw a figure that was all black. And inside it had a hole or something dark, dark black, near the hair. I couldn't see a face, just dark, dark black." Angela M (10)
"The beings wore black suits...they moved very slowly. There were three.” Daniel R (10)
"The extraterrestrial thing was already out (when I saw it). It was black and you couldn't really see his face, it was the color of our hats (i.e. reddish). You couldn't really see the face. It wasn't too big and not particularly small, somewhere in the middle. I think I recognized his legs and hands.” Nguano N (12)
"I saw aliens. One was green with large black eyes. One sat on top of the spaceship, the other came down in front of a tree.” Tpora R (10)
"Three men were sitting on a spaceship. I think they had a message for us." Tara K (9)
"I saw three men and one was dressed in black and one was dressed in silver and the other (third) was wearing black." Nickla A (8)
"I saw three people and I think they are aliens. Two wore gold suits, one black. I saw them disappear in a flash and then saw nothing. They were about my size. At first I thought they were people, but then I saw their big, slanted eyes.” Ptemba T
"Like a black man standing by the tree, but he was ugly, very ugly, and had black cat eyes, eyes like a cat but black. It moved very slowly, as if in slow motion, as if it were a robot that hadn't been oiled, so slowly that at times we couldn't see if it was moving at all or not." Elaine L (12)
“Maybe it happened because of the pollution. It's dirty everywhere here.” Brynie McC (9)
"I think they came because we pollute the world so much and they came to warn us." Doana C (11)
MR MACKIE (headmaster)
I'm skeptical about the whole thing and my first reaction was, well, maybe they saw something but let's leave it at that, but a number of parents kept confronting me about it. After all the process we went through and after Prof. Mack was with us and interviewed the students, I am sure that the students definitely gave something. I think it would be too much to say they definitely had a UFO, but I firmly believe they are telling the truth. There is a possibility that something came and visited us - for whatever reason.
Through Prof. Mack's visit and his interviews with the children, we found that some of them had serious problems processing the experience.
How did other parents react?
Most were rather neutral. Very few came to me to discuss the matter. I wrote the parents a letter, if only because of all the media hype that swept over us over the next week.
Lisel mentioned that a number of children felt that the beings had come to warn us about the destruction of the earth. [Note that this is hearsay from Lisel, not testimony from the children.] What about the ecological awareness of the school?
Well, of course we are very environmentally conscious here, if only because of the location of the school. But what Lisel told you is true: quite a number of children believed they had received communications from the visitors. And the message was: keep the earth in order, cleanse it, or it will be no longer.
Did the authorities take an interest in the incident?
No, not at all. But the BBC reporter who was here asked Harare International Airport if they had noticed anything in the tower. And the air traffic controllers in the tower explained to him that the radar system was out of order at the time in question. The system had been installed by a British company, so the reporter checked with the British Embassy, asking for confirmation. The embassy contacted the company and they said it worked perfectly. Apparently he had been lied to, for whatever reason. Maybe the tower just didn't want to admit it.
I'm skeptical about the whole thing and my first reaction was, well, maybe they saw something but let's leave it at that, but a number of parents kept confronting me about it. After all the process we went through and after Prof. Mack was with us and interviewed the students, I am sure that the students definitely gave something. I think it would be too much to say they definitely had a UFO, but I firmly believe they are telling the truth. There is a possibility that something came and visited us - for whatever reason.
Through Prof. Mack's visit and his interviews with the children, we found that some of them had serious problems processing the experience.
How did other parents react?
Most were rather neutral. Very few came to me to discuss the matter. I wrote the parents a letter, if only because of all the media hype that swept over us over the next week.
Lisel mentioned that a number of children felt that the beings had come to warn us about the destruction of the earth. [Note that this is hearsay from Lisel, not testimony from the children.] What about the ecological awareness of the school?
Well, of course we are very environmentally conscious here, if only because of the location of the school. But what Lisel told you is true: quite a number of children believed they had received communications from the visitors. And the message was: keep the earth in order, cleanse it, or it will be no longer.
Did the authorities take an interest in the incident?
No, not at all. But the BBC reporter who was here asked Harare International Airport if they had noticed anything in the tower. And the air traffic controllers in the tower explained to him that the radar system was out of order at the time in question. The system had been installed by a British company, so the reporter checked with the British Embassy, asking for confirmation. The embassy contacted the company and they said it worked perfectly. Apparently he had been lied to, for whatever reason. Maybe the tower just didn't want to admit it.
Cynthia Hind's reports
Hind wrote three reports - one for MUFON, two for her own newsletter - in late 1994 to mid 1995. They summarize not only her visit but also the interviews the children gave for TV. She sometimes inaccurately quotes the children (quotes differ from what we see on camera) so I don't have too much faith in her indirect quotes either - for example, she says Guy G and Nathaniel reported the being was 1 meter tall whereas they reported it as about 5'6" and 5" respectively. See my Analysis page for a comprehensive table of how Hind distorted the story due to her own bias.
However, for the most part the accounts match what the children said during September thru' November.
Hind's main points:
However, for the most part the accounts match what the children said during September thru' November.
Hind's main points:
- She suggested to Mr Mackie that the children draw what they'd seen [the drawings were made on Monday]. Hind photocopied 22 of the "clearer" drawings.
- "Most of the descriptions are similar, but some of the craft are very obviously 'flying saucers' and I could only wonder how many of these children have had access to the media."
- On Thursday a boy saw a cigar-like object, one while driving from school in broad daylight. Three girls in the playground briefly saw it. [See Tertia N's testimony below.]
- On Friday several children saw 3 or 4 white/silver disc-like objects come in along the power lines (one large, the rest small) and heard a whirring sound.
- 60 children saw 3 or 4 objects in the bush.
- The older boys drew the object with legs stuck in the ground. Others drew it hovering.
- A 1-meter-tall entity emerged from the craft dressed in a shiny one-piece black suit. He had a long scrawny neck, long black hair, big black slanting eyes. He had humanlike arms and legs but a large head, according to one girl [Salma]
- The man walked a little way across the rough ground, became aware of the children and disappeared. He or another man reappeared back at the object.
- Unnamed children ran to Mrs Kirkman in the tuckshop talking excitedly about a small man running around with a band around his head and a one-piece suit. [Hesemann attributes this report to Luke N.]
- Some saw a thin man on top of the craft.
- A strong wind passed over the children.
- The object took off very rapidly and disappeared.
- Most of the white children were aware of UFOs, and identified their drawings as UFOs and aliens, while other ethnic groups called them the machine, the object, and unidentified persons.
- Gunter Hofer got no reaction on his Geiger counter at the site. He took soil samples which were analyzed - nothing unusual found. Hind believes the object didn't land, but hovered: "I found no place where some object could have landed and pressed down the foliage."
- There were two landing sites - at the third power pole, and another where the man emerged. [On-camera reverses these landing sites.]
- John Mack has spoken to the children and "was able to elicit a great deal more information."
Descriptions from the children - only new information is included here:
FIFI (10)
(daughter of Mrs Kirkman in the tuckshop)
Later told her mother she saw a whitish glowing object land 100 meters from where she stood. It came closer and had a golden color.
TERTIA N
Saw a golden shiny object like a pencil in thy sky, with a shiny light at the back switching on and off.
[NOTE this is Tertia's description of the object seen in the sky on Thursday, not Friday.]
[On Friday] she and some friends watched the object land and then just vanish.
BARRY D
Saw three craft come in along the power lines, with flashing red lights. They disappeared, reappeared almost immediately somewhere else, disappeared again. This happened 3 times, then they landed near gum trees. The largest object was the size of his thumbnail held at arm's length.
FIONA (9)
Saw a bright object in the bush with something dark on it. She couldn't identify it as a "little man" and said "it could have been a branch or something like that."
GUY G
Was told by two little "obviously black" boys that they were crying because the little black man was "coming to eat them" [a reference to the tokolosh].
FARAI M (about 11)
Agreed with Guy that the object was striped with green, black, and silver.
UNNAMED BOY (probably Daniel M)
Thought at first the man was a gardener but it had long, straight black hair "not really like African hair". [This matches Daniel M's testimony.]
FIFI (10)
(daughter of Mrs Kirkman in the tuckshop)
Later told her mother she saw a whitish glowing object land 100 meters from where she stood. It came closer and had a golden color.
TERTIA N
Saw a golden shiny object like a pencil in thy sky, with a shiny light at the back switching on and off.
[NOTE this is Tertia's description of the object seen in the sky on Thursday, not Friday.]
[On Friday] she and some friends watched the object land and then just vanish.
BARRY D
Saw three craft come in along the power lines, with flashing red lights. They disappeared, reappeared almost immediately somewhere else, disappeared again. This happened 3 times, then they landed near gum trees. The largest object was the size of his thumbnail held at arm's length.
FIONA (9)
Saw a bright object in the bush with something dark on it. She couldn't identify it as a "little man" and said "it could have been a branch or something like that."
GUY G
Was told by two little "obviously black" boys that they were crying because the little black man was "coming to eat them" [a reference to the tokolosh].
FARAI M (about 11)
Agreed with Guy that the object was striped with green, black, and silver.
UNNAMED BOY (probably Daniel M)
Thought at first the man was a gardener but it had long, straight black hair "not really like African hair". [This matches Daniel M's testimony.]
Sources
- YouTube video of Tineke de Nooij's interview
- Hesemann, Michael: The Ruwa Incident Part 1, Magazin 2000, #118, May 1997, pp. 26-38.
- Hesemann, Michael: The Ruwa Incident Part 2, Magazin 2000, #119, 1997, pp. 40-46.
- Cynthia Hind, UFO at Ruwa, MUFON #320, Dec 1994, pp. 6-7.
- Cynthia Hind, The Children of Ariel School, UFO AFRINEWS #11, Feb 1995, pp.19-22.
- Cynthia Hind, Ariel School Report (cont'd) UFO AFRINEWS #12, Jul 1995, pp. 7-14.
(c) Charlie Wiser 2022
