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“Even during the liberation struggle we never heard of guerillas who went to Njelele because that was the duty of the elders. We still have the elders in our midst and nothing has changed today. The people who are doing this are renegades. They are lying.”
Cde Sibanda’s remarks come amid displeasure by villagers and chiefs from Matabeleland South over the recent visit to Njelele by people believed to be war veterans who reportedly performed unsanctioned rituals.
Njelele shrine is situated in Matobo District.
The chiefs felt the development was undermining their authority and causing commotion in the province.
Cde Sibanda castigated those who visited the shrine and said war veterans were people who held traditional leaders in high esteem and would not dare conduct any rituals without their approval.
He said during the struggle guerillas never approached an area without consulting the local leadership, usobhuku (village head), headman or chief.
“We did not do anything without involving or the blessing of community leaders. If we did that during the war we still conduct ourselves that way today.
“The two erstwhile liberation parties, Zapu and Zanu, were formed under the umbrella guidance of chiefs because it was the chiefs whose land was taken away by the imperialists. It is the traditional leaders, the chiefs, who brought the nationalists together. The chiefs have always been ahead of us all in championing the liberation struggle,” said Cde Sibanda.
“As it is, President Mugabe is moving around the country giving community shares to chiefs and not to politicians. The liberation struggle and the peace we have as a country is pinned on the existence and respect given to our chiefs. If the Head of State is doing that on an economic basis, then somebody should be out of step to disrespect chiefs. These are not the attributes of war veterans.”
Turning to alleged “insulting” words uttered by the visitors to chiefs, Cde Sibanda said no one should undermine chiefs as they are the epicentre of the liberation struggle and epitomise societal moral and cultural values.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo residents kept phoning the newsroom expressing concern over the issue with some suggesting that the group should have been arrested.
“We are very distressed about the Njelele issue. We initially thought it was a mistake but it is continuing. This thing has the potential of dividing us as a nation. People from Matabeleland have values and culture as well. No one is superior to undermine the other,” said Mr Owen Nyoni, a resident and farmer in Filabusi.
“I see no reason why those people were not arrested. What they did is trespassing and we are not clear about their motive and we condemn their bad language. If they tamper with culture, they are provoking us and maybe that is why this part of the country is no longer receiving rainfall.”
Contacted for comment Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe said the police were monitoring the issue closely to ensure that it was not a threat to public peace.
“This is a cultural issue which should be viewed in its right context. However as police, we are monitoring the situation to ensure that there is peace and that it does not become a threat to public peace,” said Insp Dzirutwe.
The chiefs met in Esigodini on Monday where they expressed displeasure over the issue and resolved to hold a meeting on Monday where they would invite the president of the Chiefs’ Council Chief Fortune Charumbira and his deputy, Chief Mtshana Khumalo of Bubi.
They also agreed to invite Zanu-PF National Chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and Cde Sibanda since the issue involved allegations against Zanu-PF and war veterans.
On Tuesday, Cde Khaya Moyo and Chief Charumbira confirmed receiving the letters from Chief Masendu of Bulilima District who was asked to deliver the letters.
Last month, the chiefs also met and condemned the visit to the shrine without their approval as custodians of cultural values.
It is the chiefs’ contention that on three different occasions, a group of unknown people numbering about 750, 650 and 150 surreptitiously visited Njelele shrine and forced their way in and conducted some cleansing rituals without the knowledge and approval of the local traditional leadership.
The chiefs said anyone was allowed to visit Njelele as long as he or she followed proper channels.
The chiefs said the political leadership from Matabeleland should watch the issue closely and take a position on it as the visitors were threatening to come back soon and were demanding to meet all chiefs and villagers in the province.
Matabeleland South Governor and Resident Angeline Masuku, who also attended the meeting, said there was a need to deal with the matter urgently.
The chiefs said the group visited the shrine at the wrong time of the year, which might anger the gods. Others said the development was a deliberate ploy to undermine the Ndebele traditional leadership and their culture.
It is alleged that the group of visitors went to Mozambique sometime ago where they toured places where liberation war fighters died and were buried during the liberation struggle.
The group reportedly picked up some stones from the mass graves, which they brought to Njelele intending to conduct cleansing rituals as they claimed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.
Online Reporter