The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
The efficacy of rain-making ceremonies has been jeopardised by modernisation, thereby risking the ineffectiveness of the rites, traditionalists say.
In years gone by, traditionalists would annually hold rain making ceremonies prior to the rain season.
The rain-making ceremony, Umtolo in Ndebele, Mukwerera in Shona, has been a common practice for many years.
The ceremonies used to culminate in a national event held at the Njelele Shrine, also known as Matonjeni or Mabweadziva. They were led by rain- making priests and priestesses, who would lead people to the whirlpools where they would offer sacrifices to the ancestors.
The people would perform traditional dances and rituals.
Mbuya Calister Magorimbo said back in the day, sexually inactive elderly women and young girls yet to experience their menstrual periods were tasked with preparing traditional beer for the ceremony.
They would stay in the forest with no contact with the outside community during that time.
“Avoiding contact with the community was to shun misconduct because the ancestors hate unclean people, conflicts and disagreements.
“After that ceremony, the ancestors would instantly send rain to show that the ceremony had been well received,” she said.
While traditionalists have made efforts to rescue the nation from droughts, the code of conducting these ceremonies has become questionable as the dynamics of society continue to prevail.
Based on the premise that the land owns the people and not vice versa, there is a belief that this relationship has been disturbed, hence the perennial droughts.
Chief Donald Kamba of the Makoni chieftaincy in Manicaland said we have abandoned tradition.
“Patterns have changed over the recent years and now rains only come around October or even November. These changes have no harm on rain making rites but actually it is us who have made these ceremonies yield no results.
“We have developed a habit of turning to ancestors only when we have a crisis and this is kuyedza vadzimu (testing the ancestors). In this regard, we anger the ancestors. Ancestors do not like to be tested and this is where we are getting it wrong. Way back, by around April and May, people would conduct a ceremony to thank the ancestors for the rains but these days we no longer perform those,” said Chief Kamba.
“We have abandoned tradition, the symbiotic relationship that is supposed to exist between our beliefs and religions is no longer there and as such, the ancestors are punishing us.
“Today’s generation has developed a tendency of sidelining tradition and taking the shor-cut, which is definitely not the way the ancestors operate,” he said.
During rain-making ceremonies, Chief Kamba said a cow would be slaughtered through a fist fight with strong men.
Nowadays, it is usually shot in the forehead.
Mbuya Magorimbo said rain-making ceremonies have been affected by tensions between traditional and Christian beliefs.
“A lot of Christians cannot worship anything else which is not God and such strong beliefs have created a rift between religious and traditional leaders because these ceremonies should be national events.
“Also, today our chiefs only do it because they are obliged to while many do not even attend. This is how tradition and culture are suffering at the hands of religion.
“Christianity is a Western concept which came through colonialism while tradition is born with us in such a manner that we cannot separate ourselves from it. Religion is adopted as we grow,” she said.
Mbuya Magorimbo said the once sacred shrines meant for traditional ceremonies only have been defiled by other religions who go there to carry out their practices, some which contradict tradition.
With the Constitution of Zimbabwe upholding freedom of worship, people from different religions can access any of these shrines.
“Our shrines are no longer sacred like before, these days you find machira matsvuku (red pieces of cloth) in our shrines, yet ancestors hate the red colour.
“This clash has wounded our shrines and mapako afumuka. This is why the ancestors are torturing us,” she said.
While Johane Masowe eChishanu elder Madzibaba Prince Marezva said under no circumstances would they use such shrines, Madzibaba Clyde Tagara from Johane Masowe eNguwo Tsvuku said such places are the best to constantly visit and worship as their ancestors used to dwell there.
“Any apostolic members who go to shrines are mixing religion and tradition, which is not how we should be doing it. For us, we hold a special prayer called muteuro and that is how we ask for rain,” Madzibaba Marezva said.
Said Madzibaba Tagara: “It is my wish to join hands with traditionalists and even the nation at large to consult the ancestors for the rains.”
Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers’ Association (Zinatha) director of medical research Sekuru Elisha Mutanga said the nation is suffering due to the conflicts between religion and tradition.
He claimed that some chiefs live unclean lives.
“These unclean people are the same who then take part in the rain-making ceremonies.
“We need to go back to our roots and do it the way our forefathers did otherwise in the next generations, there will no longer be anything left to show for our tradition.
“We also have fake traditionalists who are after people’s wealth.
“Unfortunately, rain does not fall in one man’s compound and it is sad because everyone, including the innocent, then pay the price,” he said.
