By Princess Eugene Majuru
Harare, Zimbabwe ( News of The South) – The history of the Hwata clan chieftainship is, according to local accounts and emerging narratives, deeply entangled with Zimbabwe’s colonial past, marked by acts of betrayal, political maneuvering, and spiritual conflict. These historical grievances have reportedly persisted into the present day, creating a profound, unresolved lineage dispute that demands a thorough and transparent resolution.
The controversy highlights a darker side of colonial administration, where traditional leadership was allegedly weaponized, rewarding collaborationists while marginalizing those who resisted.
A Chieftainship Forged in Colonial Alliance
The narrative is further evidence that the Hwata chieftainship was established, or at least significantly reinforced and rewarded, by the British colonial authorities as a direct payment for selling out fellow Zimbabweans a move seen as high treason by many within the community.
The Case of Chief Henry: The first chieftainship of the Hwata clan is alleged to have been a reward, with the colonial administration granting them a chieftainship in the Mzarabani area around 1968. This date falls squarely within the Rhodesian era, a period when the white minority regime actively sought to co-opt and manipulate traditional structures to suppress the liberation struggle.
The Maxwell Precedent: Further complicating the clan’s legacy is the claim involving a second chief, Maxwell, who is a former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) operative during the Smith regime. His role in capturing ‘ma cdes’ (comrades/guerrillas), whom he derisively called ‘magananga’, paints a picture of direct collaboration with the repressive Rhodesian state machinery.
This history proves a pattern of rewarding those loyal to the Rhodesian administration with power, thereby tainting the legitimacy of the chieftainship in the eyes of many Zimbabweans who value the sacrifices of the liberation war.
The Nehanda Connection: A Legacy of Betrayal
The most serious and deeply rooted crime and betrayal by the Hwata clan is its connection to the betrayal that led to the death of Mbuya Nehanda.
Mbuya Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana is one of Zimbabwe’s most revered ancestral spirits and a central figure in the First Chimurenga (uprising against colonialism). Historical accounts confirm that a Chief Hwata (specifically Hwata Chiripanyanga) and Nehanda were comrades in arms during the 1896-97 rebellion against the British South Africa Company (BSAC). Gutsa was at the Nehanda trial in 1898 and was a witness against Nehanda, that time he was 22 years old.
The accounts of the Hwata clan’s role in the ultimate capture and execution of this national icon remain a painful point of contention. Such a grave historical betrayal, This direct consequence of clan actions, would be seen as the ultimate form of ‘ngozi’ (an avenging spirit) and an indelible stain on the clan’s name, fueling the belief that the current troubles are simply the continuation of a dark historical cycle.
Spiritual and Land Disputes: The Shavarunzi Incident
The belief that the clan’s troubled history is perpetuating into the present is reportedly substantiated by the recent burial incident involving a deceased member of the Hwata clan.
The attempt by the Hwata and Gutsa clans to bury one of their deceased Chiefs in an area known as Cherunje (now reportedly called Shavarunzi) was allegedly thwarted by Mbari ancestral spirits. The account states that the body was found exhumed the morning after burial, forcing the Hwata clan to relocate the remains. The area called Cherunje was renamed Shavarunzi by the Hwata as part of their efforts to claim the land as theirs, they were already living in the area because they had been given land by King Mbari, during the Mbari Genocide the Hwata took advantage that the Mbari were in danger and no longer identifying themselves and they renamed the area claiming it as theirs.
This incident is culturally significant, as the exhumation is viewed as a direct spiritual message that the ancestral spirits of the original land owners (Mbari) are rejecting the Hwata clan’s claim or presence in that sacred territory. It serves as a potent traditional warning, linking the current land occupation and disregard for custom to the historical greed and betrayal cited in the clan’s past.
There is great need for truth and reconciliation. The Hwata clan controversy is a microcosm of larger, unresolved issues surrounding land, legitimacy, and traditional power in post-colonial Zimbabwe.
The core challenge is the discrepancy between the legal, state-sanctioned legitimacy of the chieftainship (inherited from colonial reward) and its moral or spiritual legitimacy (tainted by collaboration and historical betrayal).
Truth and Justice: The most crucial need is a formal, comprehensive effort to establish the truth regarding the Hwata clan’s role in the colonial era, particularly concerning Mbuya Nehanda. For many, resolution cannot occur until the historical debt (ngozi) of betrayal is fully acknowledged and addressed through traditional and state processes. The Hwata ate also responsible for aiding the British with information on where the Mbari were hiding when the British unleashed the Mbari Genocide in efforts to erase the Mbari clan.
State Responsibility: The Zimbabwean government must confront the uncomfortable reality that its current traditional leadership structures may have roots in colonial collaboration. Addressing this requires a robust framework for investigating and resolving chieftainship disputes that prioritizes traditional legitimacy and community consensus over mere historical documentation from the Rhodesian archives.
Spiritual Reconciliation: The Shavarunzi incident underscores that land disputes are often deeply spiritual. The resolution of the Hwata clan’s case may require traditional leaders, working together as a council, to facilitate a genuine process of spiritual reconciliation between the clans (Hwata, Gutsa, and Mbari) to restore communal harmony and respect for ancestral boundaries.
Only through a joint process involving judicial clarity and traditional healing can the Hwata clan, and indeed many other historically contested chieftainships, find a path toward genuine, accepted legitimacy in a free Zimbabwe.
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