The Sunday Mail
TRADITIONALISTS as the custodians of indigenous health systems observe the month of August as the month for spiritual activities.
Sekuru Friday Chisanyu
This is when they practice necromancy, a process whereby the dead communicate with the living while the living appease the dead so that they (the dead) keep protecting them.
The reason why August has become prominent for such events is because most agricultural harvets would have been completed by this month and therefore most people who rely on agricultural funding will be liquid. Weather is also at its best during this time.
African traditionalists have maintained a relationship with their descendants.
They understand that they are blessed by them through God. Before holding their traditional ceremonies, they make a series of consultation with traditional medical practitioners to verify on what their spirits want them to do for them.
This is when they speak to their spirits through their mediums to appreciate the services rendered to them in the past and request for good opportunities for the future.
The spirits are appreciated by items like clothes, animals, snuff, walking sticks, among others, not money.
The key role of the spirit mediums is to give guidance to people African traditionalists.
This guidance can be on the future, impending wars or peace, agricultural seasons and type of crops to cultivate.
People can also be alerted on disease outbreaks, prevention and treatment.
There are highly recognised traditional health practitioners who are possessed by spirits of their relatives.
In some cases, the spirit mediums are leading people to identify the remains of their relatives who were not buried properly during the liberation struggle.
During the liberation war, this relationship also existed.
Liberation war heroes and heroines collaborated with spirit mediums and traditional medical practitioners to fight the enemies.
The Zimbabwean Government set the date for Heroes Day in August to remember our freedom fighters. They liberated the country with the support of our spirit mediums.
The mediums would treat the injured and give guidance.
We respect, honour and appreciate them for the job well done.
