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There has been controversy over Njelele after the group, which is made up of people who claim to be war veterans, insisted early this week it was going to the shrine despite repeated warnings from chiefs from Matabeleland South and war veterans.
In a telephone interview from Harare, the president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira said the traditional leaders met the group in the capital and told them to stop their “disrespectful” behaviour.
“We are just coming out of a three-hour-long meeting with the group of war veterans, which wants to visit to Njelele. We had provincial chairpersons of chiefs across the country and we told them that we are opposed to their rituals because of certain reasons,” said Chief Charumbira.
“We also met on 20 June after receiving their invitation letter and told them we were opposed to the move. We told them that cultural issues have procedures and practices, which they have to follow.
“As chiefs we are the custodians of culture and they should not invite us but we should invite whoever. We also questioned why this issue is pushed by Harare province alone if it is a national event? As chiefs we do not want to be dragged into factional activities as this has the potential of dividing the country and causing tensions between regions and tribes. Our duty as chiefs is to promote unity and honour the 1987 Unity Accord.”
Chief Charumbira said there was no tribe or region that was superior to the other.
He added: “We should respect each other as tribes and regions. No tribe should be superior to the other and do as they please.
“We told these people to go back to the drawing board. I say this because people from Matabeleland are waiting to hear our position on the issue.”
The group, which recently called for the ouster of war veterans leader Cde Jabulani Sibanda, had already distributed letters to Matabeleland South chiefs and war veterans’ provincial leaders in Matabeleland inviting them to attend their planned cleansing ceremony.
According to the letter dated 22 June 2012 and signed by Cde George Kativhu, who claims to be the publicity secretary of ZNLWVA, the traditional leaders were being asked to participate in what they call “Ndongamabwe” memorial cleansing ceremony.
“The Traditional Holy Spiritual Mediums and cleansing group of war veterans will be holding the above subject (Ndongamabwe memorial service) on 6 July at Matopo of the Njelele in Matabeleland South,” read the letter.
“The service will be for those who have been collected from Mozambique before collecting more from Zambia etc. The Zimbabwean Holy Spiritual Mediums, all chiefs and war veterans of our liberation struggle are highly invited on their special occasion. Victory is certain (sic).”
The letter was copied to Chief Masuku of Matobo, war veterans chairpersons in Matabeleland region, Matabeleland South Governor Angeline Masuku and the police in Matobo District where the shrine is situated.
Bulawayo war veterans’ publicity secretary Cde Luke Mpofu said his association’s executive met over the issue on Monday evening.
“We received this letter as the province and as an executive we strongly disagree with the contents. Those people are not in our structures and we do not want to have anything to do with them,” said Cde Mpofu.
War veterans leaders in Matabeleland North and South Cdes Jonathan Nkanyezi and Elliot Mnkandla had also confirmed receiving the letter.
Cde Kativhu could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone.
Chiefs have held a series of meetings condemning the unsanctioned rituals at Njelele and last week they met again and resolved that the shrine should be cleansed since it was defiled.
Online Reporter