Ariel School (Ruwa, 1994) — Watch Raw Footage of Zimbabwe Children Encountering UFO 1994! [Urban Africa Creative Studio]

Source: YouTube, "Watch Raw Footage of Zimbabwe Children Encountering UFO 1994!", Urban Africa Creative Studio channel — upload of archival footage.
URL: https://youtu.be/I3TBQCqMmB8 (24:15; ~30k views; uploaded 2021-05-08)
Captured: 2026-06-11 via YouTube auto-captions. Auto-caption text is lowercase and unpunctuated.
What this is: An upload of archival 1994 footage: the contemporary news reporting and child interviews from the days after the sighting. Part of the Ariel School (Ruwa, Zimbabwe, 16 Sep 1994) source set — see ../../sources/ariel-school-ufo-1994.

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It's swimming around down there. So, I
went down to see what was happening and
I actually saw this in the trees and it
was like in a Milky Way pattern on on
like silver and green and that sort of
colors. Um, and then there was this
little boy crying. So, I went up to him
to see what was wrong with him and he
said he's he was quite afraid of it. And
then um that actually made me quite
afraid of it cuz then somebody's afraid
I get afraid. And then um I saw this
person and he his eyes were like in a
slant like say like so and his mouth was
just like a line like this and then at
the at the time the teachers were in a
staff meeting. So um nobody actually
went up to go and call the teachers
because I think they were too afraid and
everything. So when when the bell rang
cuz somebody eventually went up one of
the prefix went and said to um one of
our teachers Mr. going on, please could
we um do can you ring the bell because
there's quite a bit of a performance
down there with all the kids running
around. And then somebody from BBC um
came to us and he went for a walk down
there with us with a ger count and
actually on that piece of metal over
there, we we could stand up on it and we
could actually see a few burn marks. So
he asked us when we were walking down
there with him, he said, "Please could
you come down with us to go and have a
look at the things." So when we we
walked about if there's about six poles
and if you have a look 1 2 3 4 5 6 there
were um bone marks actually on the
ground. Um and in the heels there on the
rock there the day that it happened
there was something glittering like
quite strongly and then we when we came
back to school the next day it was just
gone. And also when we went down with
him, the burn marks had just gone.
That's like a few minutes later.
How long did you observe this whole
happening?
I think it was about 5 and 1/2 minutes
when we went down there because it was
actually quite scary.
Well, I was at the touch shop um over
there and then I saw people crowding up
at the near the site. So I went there
and I looked and I saw this this ship
and it had this light like a pattern um
yellow, purple and green it will keep on
going around and then there was
something running across and something
of the ship that moved. Then uh when I
looked um more down when I looked like
straight a straight vision with the
grass some like alien thing he had big
eyes like what guy was saying here. Do
you agree with the other two that they
the eyes were slanting, the mouth was
rather thin, the nose small, and it was
about how tall would you assume?
Maybe about 3 and 1/2 ft.
[clears throat]
But you agree with the other
description?
Yes.
Okay. And suddenly I saw this glittering
thing what my friend Kaye saw and um it
had a
orangey red like glittering thing. It
kept on moving at the side and
um and I saw like a black thing sitting
on top of it. I I don't know if it was a
branch or the thing the part of the
alien where it was sitting on, but I
don't know. I looked and I saw this
silverish
type thing in the bushes and I'm really
excited.
Guy has just one last mention of
something very interesting here. Go.
Mrs. Dark, we used to go down there with
our teacher Mr. Vernon just for a walk
for our content studies. Um, we've got a
dam. It's actually empty at the moment
and we go down there to get some clay
and pieces of grass. Um, it's actually
quite interesting because there's
usually ants that crawl on us and bite
us. Um, and when we went down there with
the BBC, um, we were walking around and
we came back and there were very there
were quite a few antills and ant holes
on the floor. There was not a single ant
and there were quite there were a few
dead ones on the floor.
Name is Candace.
Candace, please tell us what happened
that very exciting day.
Um me and my friend Claire, Haley, and
Camila, we were just walking and then we
saw this maroon color just waving about
and it was disappearing and disappearing
and we started to follow it and um then
we stood over there on one of the logs
and we saw like this silver thing and um
we decided that we should go down there
and see. But Cla said, "We're not
allowed there." So I said, "I don't it
doesn't matter. Let's just go and see."
And we got closer and closer, and we saw
this um silver thing just shining it.
And we thought that it was just a house
with glass um reflecting in the sun and
shining. Then we thought, "No, it can't
be that because there's no houses up
there on the rocks." And um then we
waited for a few minutes and we just
stared at it and we heard this flute
sort of like a flute noise. And then we
got closer and closer and um then we saw
this I saw this black figure running in
slow motion and then I didn't want to
see it. So I looked away and I looked
again and it wasn't there anymore. this
figure like Candace said, running in
slow motion. And one poked its head out
up and looked at me onto the grass. And
um
I me and Candace were really scared we
nearly
um screamed. We were so scared and we
were running back and forth because we
were excited and scared at the same
time. Anna Rivero.
Hannah, please tell us your experiences.
You see, and when the bell rang, me,
Gary, and Porsche was supposed to
practice for assembly that that day. So,
we were called out by Stefan, that's one
of our friends, and he called us and he
said he saw something. So, we went I
didn't actually believe that he actually
saw something because he was saying it
was an alien. And so I went out and then
when I was looking at it, I saw um it's
like a silver light
and like that kind of spaceship you
showed me just coming out just for an
instant and then it just disappeared
like um just like that. And so I I first
thought it was my imagination because
everybody was talking about it. But then
when I thought about it really, I I I
thought, "No, it couldn't be."
Well, the night before I saw the cigar
shaped
spacecraft, but I've got it in my
picture, but it it wasn't exactly like a
cigar. I thought it was a circle. Then
the day after that, I saw it in the game
with my friends Far
and Barry.
What did you see that that morning here
at the school?
While my these other children were
running, I asked them what it was and
they said it was a UFO. Then I ran with
them to the the logs over there.
Then then I saw I saw one person sitting
on top of the ship and guarding it and
another one running up and down like he
was confused.
And he was actually looking at us. But
some people said, "There's another
property over there right at the back.
It's Mrs. nurse's property. Some people
say that it was Mrs. Nurse's gardener.
Some people say that it was a house over
there, but I didn't believe it cuz I saw
I went up with the BBC and as you know
already from the ancestor they were all
dead. So then he said there was
radiation marks. But
and Marley, you believe that there
there's no house that would be near
enough that all the children could see
this so close to the playground? No,
because on Monday when we went there
again, there was no
Could you tell me what you saw on on
Friday?
Um, well, we saw some people. There were
there was a white one, a red one, and a
black one. And the black one was sitting
on the spaceship.
How do you know it was a spaceship?
Wasn't it a helicopter or something like
that? Yeah.
Well, it looked like it was like
glinting in the trees.
Like it looked like round about like a
like a disc like a round.
And And whereabouts was it?
It was in the in the trees over there
between the third pole.
And And you say it looked like a disc.
Are you sure it wasn't a um a Harrier
jump jet or a an aircraft?
Something that the Zimbabwe Air Force
like in a in a disc.
And and what just what happened guy?
Well, it it was just glinting in the
trees and this like there was a man and
he walked towards us and he walked back
again.
And what does he look like?
His his face was like this and his eyes
were down here.
Like what? Further down his face?
Yeah, much further down than us. Cuz our
eyes are here, his are down.
And how close were you to him? Well, I
was like the I was at the back cuz I had
just been finished in the classroom and
I was quite at the back.
So, all the other kids were in the
front.
You don't think it was somebody in fancy
dress doing a prank or something?
What about you, Ariana? Tell us what you
saw.
Well, I saw the same as guy, but um I
saw this like one on the silver glittery
thing. I saw this like black
like black long. It looks like a stick,
but it was very thin.
It was It was a man, was it?
I don't know what it was, but it was
very thin. All I saw was like a a long
thing and on on on a like a silver thing
and he was very very very thin.
What I mean it wasn't he do you think he
was a sort of a a black Zimbabwean man?
Well, not not really. He wasn't very
very dark. He was very quite lightish
and he was very thin. Not as
And how tall? About
about say there.
Just a bit a bit taller than you.
Well, yeah.
And why do you think why do you think
that that this was something different
that this wasn't some helicopter from
the Zimbabwe Air Force and just some
some guys playing a joke? Why do you
think it was actually an a UFO and
possibly a spaceman?
Um, it was just because it was it
somebody wouldn't just be playing around
and just be on the ground all of a
sudden.
Did it make any noise this thing?
Not really. No.
And and it's it landed. Something
landed. Do you do you see it land? No,
it was it was in the trees over there
like in the trees like in the trees like
linting and like there was somebody on
the ground
and then what happened?
And then he walked towards us and he
walked back again and they just went.
How how did they go?
It just went all of a sudden.
What? Like helicopter?
Just just went. At
which way?
Down more down into the valley.
At about what height
quite high like. And then what happened?
And then it didn't come back again.
And did you girls see that as well?
Yes. Yes.
Great. You're head master of Ariel
school. Tell me what what what do you
think of all this?
Um I feel sure that the children feel
that they did see something. Um I don't
believe or disbelieve to be perfectly
honest. Um but I do feel that they
definitely saw something. We had a
number of children say they did. We
asked them to draw pictures of what they
saw this morning. Uh what they saw on
Friday and um after looking at those I
definitely feel that they did see
something.
I agree that it could be something that
we um are not common with. Um um but to
actually say that it was a UFO, I would
be uh reluctant to make a decision like
that. I personally did not see it. Can
you just tell me very briefly if we go
along just say what your name is and
what what you saw?
Nathaniel Coxel.
What did you see?
I still was uh like ship landed on the
ground.
Why do you say ship? Did it have a
shape?
Yes.
Like what?
It was
it had a a long top fat effect around
the sides. What is around the side?
Just a um just saw like a platform
coming down the side.
Platform. Did you see anything else?
Yes, we saw a black man running around
just
a little man or what?
From where we looked, he was about this
small, but we were quite way away, so he
was about our size.
Could you see his face?
No.
What is your name? My name's Luke Mill
and I didn't see the special, but I saw
the little black guy and he looked he
was black and it looked like he had long
hair.
Could you see his face? No,
just what was he wearing?
Uh, it just looked like he he had long
hair.
What is your name?
Triple B.
Oh, and you also saw the this?
Yes, we were all there.
Creature.
Yes.
What did you think it was?
Um, I don't know really.
Did you see the thing? Whatever it was,
land.
Yes. Um, after filming,
I I was I was walking up to the class
and I just saw flashes inside of my eye
and that's really what I was.
But you didn't see anything on the
ground.
No, I saw that just there.
I I'm Daniel Mandy and and I saw this
this silver thing in amongst this clump
of of trees with this one thing sitting
on the side and another thing sort of
like running up and down the the top.
When you say thing, was it a form of
some sort?
Yeah, it it almost looked like a real
person except it was fairly plump.
Plump? Not really.
And what did you think it was? What were
your thoughts?
I um at first I at at at first I thought
it was um just some uh some boy from the
from the the compound um playing playing
a a round. But
um but the hair was it looked more like
our hair. It it it wasn't curly. you
that that thing almost looked like a
hippie.
And your name?
My name is Emily Bton. I saw um I saw
the little black men. They were they had
long longish hair and it was all black
and they had big black eyes. That's all
I saw. I saw a glimpse. They kind of
turned around and stared and then went
back into a kind of like ship.
kind. There was like sort of one big one
with quite a few little ones all
scattered around.
When you say he had big eyes, show me
with your hands the size compared to
They were oval kind of like that.
Oval?
Yes,
I see. And could you see anything else
on the face?
No, I couldn't. All as I could see was
his hair. And when he turned around and
then he
Were you afraid?
Yes, I was.
What did you think it was?
Well, everybody was saying that they
were UFOs and everything. So,
other people said they were UFOs.
Yeah. Um, people were coming around
telling um we were in the classroom and
I ran out and I saw it. They I did think
they were UFOs. I did see them.
You were Were you perhaps influenced by
what the other children had said?
Sort of. But I did definitely see
what you saw.
What I saw? Yes. Do you also see?
Yes.
What is your name?
Charity.
I saw
What did you see?
I saw something silver on the ground
amongst the trees and a person in black
and that's all I saw.
You saw a person alongside the silver
thing?
Yes.
What did the silver thing look like?
It looked like a sa but the shape wasn't
really round.
Have you heard about UFOs before this?
No.
You didn't know anything about it? So,
it was something quite new to you?
Yes.
Were you afraid?
Yes.
What did you do? Did you run to fetch
the teachers or you just stayed with the
other children?
I stayed with the other children.
If you see on some of the drawings, I
think like this one here,
he's got what he saw on Thursday and
then basically what he saw on Friday,
like a pencil in the sky. Yeah.
Well, my
and this is Emma.
Oh, Emma Christensen.
Yes.
Yes. Because your drawing uh was
particularly interesting. Uh they have
asked me about it. Um you saw in your
drawing you've got not only the main
uh object there, but you've got several
others. Now, did you see these coming
down or did you see them in the sky?
I saw them. I saw them disappear. They
went 1 m up from the ground and then
they just disappeared.
They went 1 m up and they disappeared.
And this this you saw this creature.
Yes. Who was very very shiny black?
Shiny black.
Shiny black
suit.
Kind of suit.
Would you say it was like a or suit that
was it like what Mr. Mackey's wearing?
No.
What would you call the type of
clothing?
I'm not sure, but he was really
Have you ever seen the divers going to
the sea?
Oh, yes, like that.
Was it like that? Or was it like an
overall
or a tight fitting suit?
It was tight fitting.
It was tight fitting and it was shiny.
Yes.
Could you see his face?
Well, I only saw a glimpse of it.
And you don't remember any individual
features? Well,
uh, I only remember that his eyes were
quite big.
Eyes were big. And were you afraid?
I was a little afraid.
What did you think it was?
I don't know. I just thought it was some
kind of alien from a different planet.
So, you knew about UFOs?
Yes.
You watched on television?
Yes.
Do you think that influenced you
or you weren't thinking about it when
you thinking about it?
Okay. Thanks, Emma.
And Lisa was
film.
And what did you see?
Well, I saw um a silver silver thing. It
was shaped. It was like lying down like
this on the side. And I saw a black man.
He He was dressed in black and he had
big eyes.
Show me with your hand how big the eyes
were. It was
shaped like something like that.
What did you think it was?
Well, I thought I thought twice. I
thought it was an alien. And then I
thought maybe it was a garden or someone
like in Durban you see these people in
like a diving suit, a really shiny one.
And he looked like he was dressed in
that and he had his eyes were down here
and he was like looking really really
funny. A few of my friends and I were
sitting in the playground eating our
lunch and we saw or Emily said first
that she she said, "Ah, there's a UFO."
And she didn't really think it was a UFO
because I mean it was just kind of
flying along slowly and then we all
looked and we thought, "Yeah, that is
really a UFO." And um it flew along for
about a minute or so and then it
disappeared but it was looked like a
cigar a cigarette.
What did these spacemen look like?
He looked like definitely not a human. I
don't know. He had a big head and big
black eyes and was dressed in a black
bodysuit. Tight for him.
And what was his arms and his hands and
his legs like?
Like humans, but he didn't he definitely
didn't look like when his head was much
too big. All I saw was a a silver flesh
just like that.
And some say they saw many spacecraft.
And I saw the man with his eyes here.
And I saw a few space I saw the bigger
one and the spaceship like four or five
of them like crowding around it. And
then after a after a few minutes, a
couple of minutes, they just just
disappeared like just went. I saw one
big one and then quite a few little ones
scattered all around.
How many of quite a few?
About two or three or four?
Four.
About four. And what's what the little
ones doing?
No, they were they were very still and
then I saw them also disappear. They
went about a meter off the ground and
then they just vanished.
And what happened to the big one?
The big one did the same. My friends and
I, we we ran down to the teachers and we
went into the office and we started
telling the teachers and then they said,
"Maybe there's nothing."
And how did that make you feel when they
said maybe there's nothing?
Well, we felt very sad cuz we did see
something.
And what did the headmaster say, Mr.
Mackey?
Mr. Mackey said that maybe there was
something down there, but he didn't
really know. But the children can't lie.
they tell the truth.
When I went home the day after this
incident happened, I told my mom and she
said, "Actually, I don't believe you,
but I can't really say yes and no." But
she said, "I I really don't think I
believe you." And then um she said my
dad came home and I told him all about
this and he said it was probably just a
rumor. I felt really upset because I
knew that it was true. I want to forget
about it. I want to keep it in because I
knew that it was true and I want to talk
to other people about it.
they can communicate with us or trying
to tell us something. I think they're
trying to tell us something which is
going to happen. I think that they're
good people because they they're showing
us all the things that other people
don't believe in and we're not too sure
if we seen these things and other people
don't actually believe us sometimes.