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| Mbuya
Nehanda a.k.a Charwe Nyakasikana (c. 1862-1898) “My bones
shall rise again” |
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| Living in the Hills around
Mazoe
,
Zimbabwe
, were various sub-chiefs including Wata and Chidamba. In
the
Chidamba
Village
lived the famous Shona spirit
medium Mbuya Nehanda. She must have had great authority
even before the 1896-7 Rebellion and it is interesting
that no greater authority than the Anglican Church in a
map drawn up showing missionary work by the Church after
1888 there is a village in the area called Nehandas. She
was a powerful woman spirit medium that was committed to
upholding traditional Shona culture, she was instrumental
in organizing the nationwide resistance to colonial rule
during the First Chimurenga of 1896-7. Even Lobengula recognized
her as a powerful spiritual medium in the land. |
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According to historical sources the original
Nehanda was daughter of Mutota the first Monomatapa
who was living in the escarpment North of Sipolilo
in about 1430. This some 70 odd years before
Christopher Columbus discovered
America
and Bartholemew Dias reached the
Cape
. Mutota was the founder of the Mutapa state, Mutota
also had a son who later became the second
Monomatapa, and the son was called Matope. Matope
was Nehanda’s half brother, and to increase the
power of Matope, Mutota ordered his son to commit
incest with his half sister, Nyamhika, who became
widely know as Nehanda. This incest ritual is
believed to have increased Matope’s ruler and his
empire, due to this Matope handed over a portion of
his empire to Nehanda who became so powerful and
well known that her spirit lived on in the human
bodies of various spirit mediums over the years
until almost 500 years later when we find it
occupying the body of the Mazoe Nehanda. Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana was considered to be the
female incarnation of the oracle spirit Nyamhika
Nehanda.
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| As white settlement increased in the land,
according to sources Nehanda initially welcomed the
occupation by the Pioneers and counseled her
followers to be friendly towards them "Don't
be afraid of them" she said "as
they are only traders, but take a black cow to them
and say this is the meat with which we greet you."
Unfortunately relationships became strained when the
settlers starting imposing taxes, forced
relocations, forced labor, etc. |
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| 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 Kaguvi and Nehanda from Mashonaland joined in; these were the
three critical people behind the rebellion |
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| Kaguvi (a.k.a Kagubi) was believed to be the spirit husband of
the other great Shona spirit, Nehanda, and it may have
been this connection which enabled him in due course to
persuade Mbuya Nehanda to preach the gospel of war
resistance in Mashonaland, which led to the first
Chimurenga. The role as well as the influence of the
spirit mediums in form of Kaguvi and Nehanda, can not understated. As far as the people
were concerned Nehanda and Kaguvi were the voices of God a.k.a Mwari. Kaguvi and later Nehanda (after convincing by Kaguvi)
preached that according to Mwari the cause of all the
trouble that had come upon the land was the white man.
They had brought the locusts and the rinderpest, and to
crown it all, they, the owners of the cattle which had
died, were not allowed to eat the meat of the carcasses,
which had to be burned or buried. Mwari decreed that the
white men were to be driven from the country. They, the
natives, had nothing to fear, Mwari would turn the
bullets of the white man into water. |
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on page two) |
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profile of this inspirational lady, please submit
your version of the Profile here |
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