As Parliament debates the future of Zimbabwe through constitutional amendments and other national matters, a question remains unanswered: who speaks for the original custodians of the land on which the capital city stands?
The Mbari people, whose ancestral lands encompass present-day Harare, Mount Hampden, Mazowe and Concession, have watched generations of leaders make decisions about their homeland. Roads have been built, cities expanded, farms redistributed, and now a new Parliament rises at Mount Hampden. Yet the voices of the descendants of those who first occupied and governed these lands are seldom heard. The absence of a restored Mbari chieftainship should not be mistaken for the absence of a people. A people do not cease to exist because their traditional institution has not yet been formally recognized. The Mbari remain. Their history remains. Their cultural connection to the land remains.
Today, as national leaders discuss constitutional changes and the future direction of Zimbabwe, there is a need to remember that governance is not only about political parties and elected officials. It is also about heritage, identity and the historical communities whose roots run deep in the soil of this country. The Mbari people have a legitimate interest in what happens on their ancestral lands. They have a right to be consulted on matters affecting their heritage and historical sites. They have a right to contribute to conversations about development, land use, governance and national identity.
The construction of the new Parliament at Mount Hampden, a place of historical significance to the Mbari people, makes this conversation even more important. Development should not erase memory. Progress should not silence history. Zimbabwe is strongest when it embraces all its voices. The descendants of the original custodians of Harare should not be spectators in discussions about the future of their ancestral homeland. They should be participants.
Recognition is not a favour. Consultation is not a privilege. Being heard is not a request. It is a right. The story of Harare did not begin with colonial maps, modern governments or parliamentary buildings. It began with its people. Among them were the Mbari. Their voice deserves a place in the national conversation.
Princess Eugene Majuru
Sovereign Custodian and Descendant of the Harare Royal Family
Mbari Clan
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