Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza
Bulawayo Bureau
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 a pilgrimage to the very wellspring of our African civilisation. 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.
Communities such as the Lemba, he added, 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 towards 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 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 Minister Anselem Sanyatwe; Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube; Chief Mposi and the Special Adviser to the President on Monitoring and Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo.
Also present were legislator Tsitsi Zhou, Chief Ngungumbane, other traditional leaders, Government officials and villagers.
The Lemba are predominantly found in Mberengwa and other parts of Midlands, Masvingo province and across South Africa.
The community’s cultural ties remain strong, with a delegation having travelled 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 marked a significant milestone following efforts to revive 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.
Chief Mposi said they were committed to preserving the culture and heritage for future generations.
