Rare insights into Tshangani culture

Tendai Rupapa in CHAMBUTA

FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday got rare insights into the Tshangani culture during her educative and all-inclusive Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme aimed at promoting morality and responsibility among youths.

When a man has come of age among the Tshangani, he sounds a bow-like instrument called Chizambe signalling his intention to marry.

The son plays the instrument the whole night on his parents’ bedroom door, prompting them to start preparatory work for his marriage rites which are led by uncles and aunts. 

The uncles and aunts will ask about the family he intends to marry into and advise on whether or not that family is morally upright and acceptable.

In this culture also, the First Lady heard that it was taboo for men to warm themselves around fires lit by women and girls to prepare meals. Instead, men light their own fires away from women where they discuss various topics and are equipped with various skills by elders.

In the Tshangani culture, children also do not look elders in the eyes when greeting them, neither do they clap hands like what other cultures do. They simply bow down while holding both their hands on the side.

It also emerged during the teachings that cases of drug abuse, excessive alcohol consumption, prostitution and bad dressing which affected most communities countrywide, were also wreaking havoc among the Tshangani community.

The mother of the nation said it was her wish for all children to concentrate on their studies and quit harmful practices which did not bode well for their families, communities and the nation.

The teachings were held in an interactive manner where the children were granted the opportunity to express themselves and ask questions on various issues they needed clarity on.

The First Lady was in the Nhanga with the girls and other elderly women while chiefs including Chief Chilonga, Mr Gevele July Chilonga, was in the Gota with boys and other elderly men.

Girls were taught to make salt from clay which is found in riverbanks. The clay is placed in a basket before water is poured while they trap it in a container under the basket. This water is then boiled after which they obtain the salt, which is said to have medicinal properties.

There were also practical lessons in pounding millet to make millet meal and cooking traditional foods.

Boys too were taught how to slaughter and skin a goat.

They were also taught to make Chizambe instrument and how to play it.

The girls were also taught marriage formalities in their culture which does not entertain eloping. They are supposed to go through their aunts and before the girl goes to her husband, there are certain traditions performed for her.

A girl child is expected to wake up early in the morning and bath with cold water so that she remains strong in preparation for marriage. As per tradition, one is immersed in a drum of cold water early in the morning before leaving for the husband’s home.

The First Lady asked if children in Chiredzi were rushing into sexual relations just like in other areas countrywide.

“Are children here having love affairs and sexual relations like what we are hearing wherever we are travelling,” she asked.

The response was affirmative.

Mrs Mhloava Mkupe said; “There are a lot of pregnancies here, especially during the lockdown a lot of girls dropped out of school due to pregnancies. The boys denied paternity, forcing the girls to remain at their parents’ homesteads after leaving school midway,” she said.

The First Lady said the girls were lucky to have people sitting them down to teach them about life

One of the girls, Linety Munengenesi said early love relations were not helpful to young children.

“It is not wise to have boyfriends while we are young. And what these boys in our area do, they sleep with you, impregnate you and run away to South Africa, leaving you suffering alone with the child. So I urge my fellow girls to treasure education,” she said. 

Sinikiwe Chihangalasi, had her own issues with boys. She said the boys harassed girls whenever their romantic advances were spurned.

“If one of the boys proposes love to you and you turn down the proposal, he comes with his friends to harass you and force you to love him and sleep with you. He can actually rape you and cross the border to South Africa, leaving you pregnant,” she said.

“If you tell your parents about it, they might force you to get married if the boy’s family is better. Some parents do not care about education they think by marrying their young girl off, they might get rich or get what they want,” she said.

The First Lady said this was wrong for parents to do so.

“No my daughters, if a parent does that he or she will be breaking the law because it is illegal to marry off a young child. You can actually report them because I want you to pursue you education and learn with all your might. If you work hard in school you will achieve a lot in life,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa gave an example of Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) pilot Gamuchirai Maria Mbigi who came out tops in her training course and said if one is focused on education, they would achieve a lot.

“It is my wish to see doctors, engineers and pilots from Chambuta. We have come to prepare a bright future for you and not for you to rush into marriages,” she said.

The girls were told the disadvantages of having sexual relationships before time. She asked them the diseases that were contracted through sexual intercourse and they mentioned HIV,  TDs among other diseases.

Amai Mnangagwa and the elderly also fielded questions from the learners.

“Boys waylay us and fondle us disrespectfully, how do we stop them?” asked Lira Chauke.

In response, the mother of the nation urged girls to report such boys to village leaders who will then take the matter up to the police.

Gogo Kisia Ruseni who was part of the discussion said girls were partly to blame for some of the challenges they encountered.

“You girls have a problem because you giggle a lot with the boys and you sneak out of the house in the dark while your parents will be asleep to meet boys who then start fondling you whenever they meet you. Your dressing also leaves a lot to be desired,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa and the elderly collectively discouraged the girls from engaging in romantic affairs before the time is right, but to focus on their education for a brighter future.

Speaking on what they taught the boys in the Gota, Chief Chilonga said: “We were teaching the boys our culture and traditional way of life about how people got married. We want our children to understand that marriage has to be done when people have become of age. 

“They must know how they will look after each other. Marriages are good and are consummated in the full knowledge of aunts, uncles, grandfathers and parents not how these young ones are doing it these days. They are impregnating young girls and the next thing she elopes.”

“We taught them about Chizambe which is sounded to make parents know that one had come of age and now need to marry. We taught the boys how to slaughter a goat and that It has to be hung facing downwards so that the meat do not go bad quickly and the skin has to be preserved. If you perforate the skin you will be suggesting that the woman you married was not a virgin. The skin will be used as a mat by your mother-in-law.”

Chief Chilonga said children must do away with drugs which were embarrassing and not beneficial to the nation.

“As chiefs, we will carry forward the teachings through our courts where we will invite the boys and girls over to teach them. Together with the elderly we will make sure we impart wisdom,” he said.

Sekuru Mumvulo Tsumele thanked the First Lady for reviving the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba

The First Lady presented certificates to beneficiaries of the teachings both boys and girls and made them her ambassadors who will teach others from school and the community.

The children who participated and the elderly who taught them were given food hampers and toiletries courtesy of Amai Mnangagwa.