|
|
|
|
| history
of Sekuru Kagubi, a.k.a Gumboreshumba |
|
| Gumboreshumba (meaning: The foot / claws of a lion) also
known as Kagubi, lived in Chikwaka's Kraal in the
Goromonzi Hill, near Harare Zimbabwe. He was obviously a
man of some substance in the area. He was married to a
daughter of Chief Mashonganyika whose kraal was some three
miles to the south of the Goromonzi Hill and he also had
wives from the kraal of headman Gondo which is also in the
vicinity of Goromonzi Hill. He became known as a supplier
of good luck in hunting and was able to speak to people
“from the trees and the rocks”. He was believed to be
the spirit husband of the other great Shona spirit, Nehanda. He was a powerful spirit medium, along with Mbuya
Nehanda and Mkwati, he was instrumental in organizing the
first nationwide resistance (known in Zimbabwe as the
First Chimurenga), and known to the then colonial rule as
the Rebellion of 1896-7 in the then Rhodesia. |
 |
The historical Kaguvi lived in the land currently known
as Zimbabwe and was active between 1660 and 1680 as
one of the founders of the Rozwi Empire. He was at
that time the leader of Guruuswa, the area occupying
the south-west quarter of Zimbabwe, and he took over
leadership of the Rozwi dynasty from Gumboreshumba
who is called the progenitor of the Rozwi dynasty
which eventually ruled most of this country.
Kaguvi's spirit or his mudzimu (Shona for
ancestral spirit) lived on from that time
occupying the human form of a spirit medium, svikiro.
Before the European occupation of present day Zimbabwe, Kaguvi's spirit medium was Kawodza who
lived on the present day Kaguvi Hill on the southern bank of the
Umfuli River approximately 13 miles west of Beatrice
town. Below this hill is a pool in the Umfuli River
which has never been known to dry up and which
according to Shona tradition used to give forth the
noises of cattle, sheep, goats and cockerels.
Kawodza himself was killed in a Matabele raid and
the family of his son fled north, eventually
settling in these hills. One of his sons was
Gumboreshumba, presumably named after the founder of
the Rozwi dynasty and prior to the European occupation in
1890, Gumboreshumba found himself possessed of the
Kaguvi spirit previously held by his grandfather,
Kawodza.
|
| As colonialism began to get its grip
on the natives of Zimbabwe, there was military
drive to rid of the British settlers. The collective
efforts of the locals to get rid of the British
colonialist in the period of 1896-7 have become
known as the First Chimurenga a.k.a the
Rebellion. |
|
| Due to the cultural beliefs of the locals, the leading
roles behind the rebellion were by three spirit mediums.
The rebellion was initiated in Matebeland in May 1896, the
leading role there being Mukwati, in October 1896
Gumboreshumba and Nehanda from Mashonaland joined in;
these were the three critical people behind the rebellion |
|
|
|
|
| Gumboreshumba, who is hereafter called Kaguvi, whilst he
was in the Umfuli area sent messengers to the spirit
medium, Mukwati, who lived in a cave in the Matopos and who
was the svikiro (voice) of the Supreme God, Mwari.
These messengers were sent to obtain medicine to destroy
locusts but they came back to Mashonaland with the news
that Mukwati had revealed that the Shona should rise up
against the whites in the same way as the Matabele were
doing and that Kaguvi would have the same powers to kill
the whites as Mukwati had. Kaguvi being the spiritual
husband of Nehanda managed to convince her to preach the
gospel of war in Mashonaland. |
|
|
| (Kaguvi's
life continued
on page two) |
|
|
Page One || two |
|
|
|
|
|
| If you feel this is not an accurate profile and
you have a more accurate one, or you have a clarification , you can submit your version of the Profile here |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
