Online Reporter
Tichaona Chikono
THE sun beat down on Chishawasha, while the stone beneath Sekuru Kaguvi’s feet felt ancient and unyielding. It was April 1898. The First Chimurenga had fallen silent, and the walls of Salisbury Prison resembled a tomb.
Beside him stood Father Richartz, holding a wooden crucifix and speaking of a Saviour who understood betrayal, imprisonment and an unjust death.
For months, Kaguvi had listened. He did not hear the voice of a foreign God; he heard a familiar echo. Was not Mwari, the Creator, the same God? Was not Jesus Christ the ultimate intercessor between humanity and the Almighty?
When the baptismal waters touched his forehead and Father Richartz bestowed upon him the name Dismas, Kaguvi closed his eyes.
He reflected on the biblical thief who, even in his final moments, received mercy from Christ. In that moment, he believed the spiritual heritage of his people was not being erased but anchored on a firmer foundation.
Nearby, Mbuya Nehanda’s famous prophecy echoed through history: “My bones shall rise.” In this reflection, Kaguvi saw those words pointing to a future built upon an unshakable foundation.
The decades passed, and the land of the Rozvi and Gumboreshumba emerged as Zimbabwe — the House of Stone.
In its early years of independence, Zimbabwe appeared much like the biblical Joseph clothed in a coat of many colours.
Richly endowed with fertile land and abundant mineral wealth, the country quickly earned recognition as the “breadbasket of Africa”. It also secured election to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for the 1983-1984 and 1991-1992 terms.
Yet, as in the biblical account of Joseph, favour was followed by adversity.
Zimbabwe endured years of international isolation, sanctions, economic decline and hyperinflation. The country weathered political and economic storms that tested the resilience of both the State and its people.
From this theological perspective, the nation remained like a House of Stone — enduring hardship while holding firmly to its faith, identity and hope.
Then came June 2026.
The international community once again placed its confidence in Zimbabwe, electing the country to serve as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.
Viewed through the lens of Scripture, this was more than a diplomatic achievement. It symbolised restoration.
Like Joseph emerging from prison to assume a position of honour, Zimbabwe returned to one of the world’s most important decision-making bodies after years of isolation. It was not a first arrival, but a return — one shaped by endurance, perseverance and survival.
For those who interpret national events through the prism of faith, Zimbabwe’s journey from the hardships of the past to renewed international recognition reflects a powerful biblical narrative of testing, endurance and restoration.
From the prison cell at Salisbury in 1898 to the chambers of the United Nations in New York more than a century later, this theological reflection sees a thread of divine purpose woven through Zimbabwe’s history. It is the story of a House of Stone that, having weathered many storms, continues to stand.
For the love of the country.
Tichaona Chikono is a veteran Journalist who has won awards in videography and ICT news reporting. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted via email at [email protected].
