Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
IN a spectacular display of colour and energy, the Apostolic Ejuwel Jekenisheni Church’s youth dancers, popularly known as majivhisi mesmerised the crowd at the church’s recent annual pass-over conference in Mabiya (Mutare District).
Their captivating performance, replete with intricate formations and symbolic gestures, was a testament to the church’s rich history and its role in the country’s struggle for independence.
The dancers’ vibrant attire, featuring coordinated robes in red, white, blue, yellow, and green, complete with matching headscarves and sashes, added to the visual spectacle.
They moved in sharp, purposeful motions with their sacred drums pulsed in rhythmic unison, singing in Liripa – a spiritual language unique to the church.
Gospel musician, Prince Chigwida, who recently featured the church in his song – Love Yemujeke – has publicly acknowledged the majivhisi dancers’ cultural significance and vibrant energy.
According to the church’s clergy, the majivhisi dancers’ performances are more than mere entertainment – but powerful reflections of the church’s history and its contribution to the liberation struggle.
The dancers’ choreographed movements, which include imitations of gun stances and tactical war poses, serve as a living testament to the church’s role in their nation’s history.
The Jekenisheni’s majivhisi dancers have earned widespread admiration for their captivating displays, ensuring that the church’s history and cultural heritage continue to thrive.
Pastor Esau Muturikwa, one of the senior church leaders, said the majivhisi’s war-inspired dances are not coincidental.
“These dances are not just artistic. They carry the spirit of the war. They reflect what happened. It was the same during the war. Our church fought in its own way, through preparing food for the comrades, praying for them, and through such dances, which inspired strength and courage,” he said.
Pastor Muturikwa said the Apostolic Ejuwel Jekenisheni Church’s role in the liberation struggle extends far beyond spiritual guidance.
The church’s founding prophet, St Luke, received a divine revelation on July 17, 1932, instructing him to seek out Johane Momberume, popularly known as Johane Marange.
The meeting between the two, which took place the following day, was marked by a remarkable phenomenon – they began speaking in tongues immediately.
The church interprets the event as a sign that their mission to free the colonised Africa had commenced.
“God instructed them to preach the gospel and to free the colonised Africa. St Luke travelled across nations spreading the word. In 1939, God told him to form a group of youths (majivhisi), and these children were trained in military-like styles. They were trained everything that the comrades were being trained, even how to handle guns, though they did not carry any. They were also taught to communicate in Liripa, a sacred language used to send secret messages to the fighters,” said Pastor Muturikwa.
This sacred language, used in chants, prayers and songs, is said to have been a form of coded communication understood only by those within the church.
It provided a spiritual shield and practical protection for both the church members and freedom fighters they supported.
He said most majivhisi at that time would eventually join the liberation struggle and fight for their freedom.
The church also played a significant role in providing food and gathering intelligence.
“We were warned by God about poisoned water sources and food planted by the colonialists. The church fasted weekly, twice a month, for the whole year. On those days, we would eat only salt-less porridge. That is how we fought and won through prayer and sacrifice,” explained Pastor Muturikwa.
The majivhisi dances have since become a major fixture at national events and church gatherings, constantly evolving, but always rooted in history.
They begin slowly, worshippers in traditional uniforms swaying rhythmically to drumbeats, but quickly escalate into complex formations with stomping feet, military salutes, and acrobatic leaps.
Elders chant, youths whirl, and the crowd joins in with thunderous clapping and shouting.
It is impossible not to feel the spirit of struggle rise through the beat of the kachitindi (the church’s small drum).
The church’s uniforms are another colourful expression of identity and unity.
Each group wears a different shade, with vibrant dresses and robes that signify their role within the church, be it youth, ruwadzano, elders or prophets.
The sea of colours during the Passover conference was, not only beautiful, but symbolised order, heritage and deep spirituality.
Pastor Muturikwa said though often misunderstood by outsiders, the Apostolic Ejuwel Jekenisheni Church carries a legacy that is both spiritual and nationalistic.
“Our songs and dances are as much a form of worship as they are a retelling of the nation’s past. The war might have been fought with bullets and strategy, but within our community, it was also fought with drums, fasting, and unwavering faith. While others fired guns, we beat drums, while others marched with rifles, we danced with purpose. And while some fought with blood, we fought with spirit. We are a church that carries a revolutionary spirit. We did not fight with violence, but we still fought. Our prayers, food, dances – those were our weapons,” said Pastor Muturikwa.
88-year-old Mbuya Emily Bvurere, of Hotsprings, one of the oldest living members of the church, remembers the war years vividly, and spoke about a remarkable encounter with royalty.
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II, then still a princess toured Southern Rhodesia and passed through Hot Springs Hotel, where a youthful majivhisi group, including her, performed for the queen after being ordered to do so by the white settlers.
“She was happy with our dances. I was only 10-years-old, and I was beating my small drum, kachitindi. The Queen asked for it and they gave it to her. They did not tell me it would never be returned. For years, I waited for it, thinking she would bring it back. She had said she wanted to take it to Britain with it as a souvenir,” recalled Mbuya Bvurere.
The drum, she said with a smile, became a symbol of cultural loss.
“That drum is in Buckingham Palace now. It is ours, and we never saw it again,” said Pastor Muturikwa.
That dance for the Queen, according to the church, was not just entertainment, it was a display of strength, culture and silent defiance.
They believe it was the first time a colonial monarch witnessed a coded message of African resilience masked in song and movement.
During the Passover gathering, ZANU PF National Chairman, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri also paid tribute to the church’s historical role in the liberation struggle.
“The church started even before the ruling party was formed. Before we were born, God had already spoken to the church that they would have to fight for the people of Zimbabwe’s freedom. They used the Bible as a gun. Some of us fought for the nation with real guns, but the church fought with prayers, fasting and the Bible. We are all war veterans,” she said.
