By Princess Eugene Majuru- Harare Princess Royal
Zimbabweans are looking forward to Africa Day celebrations 2021 with the expected unveiling of the statue of Chimurenga war Heroine Mbuya Nehanda, who was brutally murdered by British colonialists in 1897.
The statue will be erected at corner Samora Machel/Julius Nyerere Way in Harare. Its good to see how Zimbabwe is respecting culture and tradition and departed war heroes and heroines. It is sad however, to see that the Zimbabwean government has failed to honour the owners of the land the Mbari clan descendants of the late ruler of Harare, Mazoe and Mount Hampden. 41 years after Independence Harare still has no Chief, how do we then say we are respecting Zimbabwean culture and cultural and traditional programmes are taking place in Harare without rescuscitation of Mbari’s Chieftancy? Surely as Zimbabweans we all know that that we always need the blessings of the owners of the land. “Mbuya Nehanda aitove mweni mudunhu raMbari” Ndiani anokosha mweni nemuridzi we dunhu? Zimbabwe has more than 200 Chiefs who are headed by Chief Fortune Charumbira who have let the nation down by failing to play their traditional role to advise the government to rescuscitate the Chieftaincy of Harare. We also need to bear in mind that Harare the Zimbabwean capital is citadel of Zimbabwe. We cannot expect to be prosperous as a nation where the owners of the land are not giving their blessings towards any prospective activity on the land.
We saw the building of Zimbabwe’s new parliament in Mount Hampden as yet another of Mbari’s territory being placed under Chief Zvimba who even gave his blessings at the ground breaking ceremony yet the land does not fall under him. Mount Hampden parliament site is where some of the Mbari clan graves are situated. In that area years ago white lions were seen in the daytime and at night. Despite being warned about building on the sute without consulting the Mbari Ancestors Zimbabwe went ahead and built the new parliament, an act that shows disregard for of our culture. Don’t be surprised if one day the new parliament is submerged in water or is completely demolished. My powerful Ancestors are very angry.
At Mazoe Dam another area of Chief Mbari we see the dam is failing to fill up and water levels keep dwindling despite lots of rainfall and floods. The Mazoe Dam area was placed under the Hwata clan yet the Mbari people are alive, my Ancestors are very angry about that as well. How can an area be given to other people to be custodians yet surving descendants of the Mbari are still alive?
This is total disregard of our culture and tradtions. Harare, Mazoe and Mount Hampden area belonging to Chief Mbari is very spiritual, so are other such areas in Zimbabwe. I challenge Zimbabwe’s Council of Chiefs to have these issues addressed as a matter of urgency if they are truly traditional and cultural leaders.
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