Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, Sunday News Reporter
ZIMBABWE is erasing the colonial-era hierarchies of culture, replacing them with a revolutionary equity where no culture is superior to another and where no one and no place is left behind, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi has said.
He said this while addressing thousands of people gathered at the Mposi High School grounds for the second edition of the revived Lemba Cultural Annual Festival in Danga, Mberengwa yesterday.
“Today we stand on this historic, vibrant and sacred soil of Mberengwa with a deep sense of humility, revolutionary pride and profound respect. We join the great Lemba people, the timeless custodians of an ancient sacred and fiercely guarded legacy, it is not merely a ceremonial duty but is a pilgrimage to the very wellspring of our African civilization. We are erasing the colonial-era hierarchies of culture, replacing them with a revolutionary equity where no culture is superior to another and where we leave no one and no place behind,” said VP Mohadi.
VP Mohadi said communities such as the Lemba have an important role to play in supporting and transforming indigenous knowledge systems into opportunities that benefit both present and future generations.
“Today (yesterday) is more than a cultural gathering. It is a celebration of identity, heritage, resilience and the invaluable contribution of the Lemba people to the history, civilisation and development of Zimbabwe and the Southern African region.
“The celebrations strike at the very heart of who we are as a sovereign nation. It speaks to our past, defines our present, and charts a luminous path toward our shared destiny. Heritage is not a dead relic of a long-gone era, it is the living and breathing DNA of our national consciousness,” he said.
He said the celebrations are the golden thread that connects people to their ancestors, anchors their identity in the storms of globalisation and fuels their collective resolve to build a prosperous Zimbabwe.
VP Mohadi was accompanied by Sport, Arts, Recreation and Culture Lieutenant-General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube, Chief Mposi and the Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring and Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects Dr Joram Gumbo.
Also present were legislator Honourable Tsitsi Zhou, Chief Ngungumbane, traditional leaders, Government officials and villagers from local communities.
Predominantly found in Mberengwa and other parts of Midlands, Masvingo Province and across South Africa, the Lemba community’s cultural ties remain strong with a delegation travelling from South Africa to join members from 12 clans namely Hamisi, Seremani, Madi, Sadiki, Mani, Haji, Sarifu, Nemanga, Bakari, Tovakare, Dumha and Hasani in festivities that marked the revival of their ancestral traditions.
The Lemba Cultural Annual Festival, signified a significant milestone following efforts to resurrect the event last year.
The celebrations were held under the theme: “Our Heritage and Our Strength: Lemba People in United Zimbabwe”
The festival was last organised in 1972, according to one of the event organisers Dr Takavafira Zhou.
“Prior to the revival of the annual celebrations last year, the last Lemba Cultural Festival was held many years ago. Much work has been invested and we are proud to say that this year’s event was a resounding success, judging by the large number of people who travelled from all corners of the country and from South Africa,” said Dr Zhou.
Bongani Ndlovu