The Sunday Mail
Desire Ncube
A fortnight ago, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko rallied churches to pray for the rains after extremely high temperatures had hit the country, thereby affecting crops and livestock.
The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHCD) took heed of the Vice President’s call and churches from across the country conducted prayer sessions for the rains.
Three days into the national prayer week, rains pounded most parts of the country.
The rains have been welcomed by every Zimbabwean as they have brought hope for good harvests in some areas.
However, traditional leaders have been performing annual rain making ceremonies and they claim that they are the ones behind the current wet spell.
Late last year, Zinatha cultural secretary Mr Enerst Tekere told our sister publication, The Chronicle, that the rains would pour countrywide as they had conducted a rain making ceremony at their Komninindaba cultural village in Luveve, Bulawayo.
But these pronouncements stood in direct contrast to the Meteorological Services Department’s prediction of poor rains during the year.
Despit this, Mr Tekere stood firm.
“We specifically asked for rains, Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and protection against diseases. Hopefully, it will rain. Rain will always fall,” Tekere was quoted as saying back then.
“We asked for rain. We also spoke to local departed kings, including Mzilikazi and Lobengula.
“We believe God will always answer us. It’s our way of doing things, we persist in asking for what we want until we get it. Weather experts can only predict, but we tell the truth as it is, the present reality that we receive from God.”
Recently, the Nyandoro people performed some rain making rituals in Masasa communal lands, Chihota.
Amidst all this, the Meteorological Services Department had forecasted that the country would not receive significant rains during the short season which would start in December last year and end in February this year.
And therefore a debate has been ignited between Christians, traditionalists and scientists.
The borne of contention is: which force successfully interceded for the rains, if there is any such force to talk about?
Which ever way one looks at this, religion has been sucked into the recent wet spell.
Roman Catholic Church Father Tendai Reki said Christians did what is expected of them – claiming their biblical promise.
‘‘Is anyone of you in trouble? He should pray, James 5 verse 13, surely the nation is troubled it needs rains to survive,” he said.
“Elijah in the Old Testament prayed for rain, it rained and the earth produced crops, Zimbabwe as a praying nation ought to pray for the rains.”
Father Reki’s view added weight to the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denomination’s statement which asserted that it is the role of the church to intercede not only for the rains, but for every human need.
“If people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land, 2 Chronicles 7 verse 13-14,” reads part f the statement.
ZHCD said when Nineveh was faced with imminent distraction, the nation, including the king, turned to the Lord God Almighty and they were preserved.
Chief Nyandoro, Mr Richman Garikai Nyandoro said the rain making prayers were important as they give them an opportunity to speak to their spirits and make requests.
The national weather forecast issued by the Meteorological Services Department on Tuesday last week highlighted that thunderstorm activity was expected across the country with light to moderate falls.
The department also indicated that the 2015-2016 national cloud seeding programme had commenced and two aircraft will be used to enhance rainfall as much as possible.
