adminThe actions of this group have not only angered the traditional and political leaders in Matabeleland but it has the potential of desecrating the sacred shrine of Njelele which is the official rainmaking site in the country. This motley crew made up of people claiming to be war veterans, some chiefs and spirit mediums from Mashonaland has been bringing soil samples, bones, clay pots, stones and some other trinkets from its visits to former Zipra and Zanla camps in Zambia and Mozambique to Matopo to dump at Njelele and it is this action that has particularly riled local traditional leaders as the group not only disregards their authority but seems to be a law unto itself.
Two months ago, the group drew nationwide condemnation after it conducted rituals at Njelele twice and despite repeated pleas for it to stop its actions, it was defiantly back again on Thursday last week. This time, about 568 people descended on Matopo but it seems this time the police were alert and must have barred them from proceeding to Njelele. This however, did not stop them from conducting their bizarre rituals at Hazelwood near Matopo police station.
They claim their actions have the blessings of the country’s leadership but the Co-Minister of Home Affairs, Cde Kembo Mohadi, whom the group claimed to have knowledge and sanctioned their trips, disowned them on Friday and instead castigated their behaviour. “I am not aware of their visit. They should not even bring me into their stupid things. I never sanctioned their visit. These people are now becoming a problem ngento zabo zamadlozi,” he said.
Chiefs from Matabeleland South have been scathing in their criticism of the group, saying its actions were undermining their authority as custodians of cultural values and their rituals were likely to anger the gods and cause problems for people in the region. They also felt the unsanctioned visits were responsible for drought which had greatly affected the province.
Zanu-PF National Chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo on Friday said the actions of the group depicted the highest levels of disrespect for the law and police should take appropriate action. He said Zanu-PF had a clear position against such unacceptable visits and called for respect of the traditional leadership in Matabeleland South.
The Chiefs Council and the opposition MDC formation led by Professor Welshman Ncube have also condemned the group and yesterday, traditional leaders in Matabeleland resolved to close the Njelele shrine in order to remove and destroy the bones and stones left by the visitors as part of moves to cleanse the shrine.
We also join the rest of the nation in condemning the actions of this group and call on it to heed counsel for it to stop its activities forthwith. For a start, Njelele is not the right place to conduct such rituals and we believe this has been communicated to them. The group also failed to follow the correct protocol in visiting Njelele and just bulldozed its way into the sacred shrine. This is totally unacceptable. We implore them to respect the traditional customs and laws of the land. We have nothing against their actions but we feel they should have followed the correct procedures in conducting their rituals. And we doubt their actions have the blessings of the national leadership because no one has come forward to back their claims.
Instead there has been a chorus of condemnation of their actions. It’s time they stopped their charade.
Online Reporter