dyton mupawaenda
Tendai Rupapa in GWERU
SUNDAY marked a Mothers’ Day of splendour for First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa who honoured an invitation by students from all the country’s universities, polytechnics, colleges and vocational training centres to their 2023 National Culture Festival which incorporated a special educative Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session in celebration of her efforts to fight drug abuse, disrespect and general lawlessness among youths.
The festival was held under the theme “Celebrating an icon of philanthropy, community development and the dignity of humanity.”
Marked every second Sunday of May in most countries across the globe, Mothers’ Day is a celebration of the bond of love and affection between a mother and a child and it celebrates the spirit of motherhood.
The tertiary students decided to honour the mother of the nation and spent the day with her at the Midlands State University.
The day celebrated the community based initiatives which Amai Mnangagwa is spearheading countrywide, including her cultural preservation efforts.
Dr Mnangagwa has been at the forefront of reviving traditional values and indigenous dishes through the Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba session and Amai’s traditional food cookout programmes.
The tertiary institutions have since embraced her all inclusive teachings and judging by the events of the day, it was clear that her hard work is bearing fruits.
This was the third time students from tertiary institutions had invited the First Lady to their cultural festivals a sign that they are embracing her educative programmes.
So lively was the gathering that everyone could not afford to miss any moment of the fun, dances, poetry, dramas and singing that was taking place.
Highlights of the well subscribed event included exhibitions of mouthwatering traditional food, traditional utensils display, traditional dances, poems and modelling with African attire.
Dr Mnangagwa started by leading in planting indigenous fruit trees like muhute, tsvoritsvoto and musawu at the university before proceeding to a Nhanga session together with elderly women and lecturers.
The students prepared traditional dishes as their practicals.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa admires roasted road runner chicken named ‘huku yemanyika’ which was on exhibition by students from universities polytechnic colleges and vocational training centres during the 2023 National Culture Festival at Midlands State University on Sunday.
The boys were also in the Gota with lecturers, the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavhima and traditional chiefs.
“Vanangu (my children) we have come so that we discuss and teach each other good morals. In life there are choices and an individual looks forward to be someone and achieve something.
“Today we have come to mould the girl child into a complete woman. Before my mother passed on, she taught me a lot that I embraced up to this day.
“Are you also listening to your parents and elders. I did not come as a First Lady, its just a title. I have come as a mother, grandmother and aunt and we shall discuss freely without shyness.
“You should be morally upright so that you do not embarrass us. When you brand yourself “mababe manyama” (slang for beautiful ladies)” what will you be saying nhai vanangu. Where do you stand in terms of morals, at school and in your community? Do you have a good name?” she asked.
Mrs Eugenia Mabika spoke on the thorny issue of relationships.
“Girls, we passed through this road, it is not an uncharted course. There is a poem (Ngwarai vasikana) which bids girls to be wise and know why they are in university.
“Looking at relationships, are we dating people of our ages or we are rushing for blessers, old men? Some among you argue that blessers spoil them with cash and other niceties. Why not sell sweets and snacks here and buy yourself the weave you crave for?
“Some have abortions after being impregnated by blessers, resulting in health complications. When you get married, you then fail to conceive and start alleging witchcraft.”
“My daughters do you appreciate that you are special? What do you need a married blesser for? We earn differently because of our backgrounds therefore do not yearn for things above your level,” she said.
Mrs Mabika narrated an incident where she was called to a school to assist a boy who attempted suicide after being jilted by his girlfriend for an old man.
“In the morning I was called to the hostels where a student wanted to commit suicide after being dumped for an old man. Tell me what will happen after being impregnated by an elderly man. What will he do or say?” she asked.
In the responses, the girls deplored abortion saying it had negative health implications.
“If you terminate the pregnancy you may die or this may affect your uterus. My children your studies are going to define who you are, so take them seriously and be dignified women,” she said.
Dr Eurita Nyamanhare hammered on the aspect of girl child empowerment.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa admires a dish named ‘zviri mubindu’ which was on exhibition by students from universities, polytechnic colleges and vocational training centres during the 2023 National Culture Festival at Midlands State University on Sunday.
“It’s a Mothers’ Day with a difference. Our mother has come to teach us good morals. Some of you are already married while others look forward to following suit. Are you able to use your hands?
“What are you doing to empower yourself? Are you taking your studies seriously so that you empower yourself? Should your husband die, where do you stand in terms of empowerment? How do you look after the children if you are lazy?” she said.
She shared her life testimony on how she managed to obtain her PhD through hard work.
She said she did this to inspire the girls.
“Keep going strong on your studies and preserving your morals. Your future is in your hands. We are glad our mother encourages and supports girl child and women empowerment,” she said.
Gogo Rebecca Musengei gave a detailed presentation on personal hygiene.
Matron Margaret Muchikichi spoke about the values of hunhu/Ubuntu.
“What does hunhu mean,” she asked.
The girls said morality defined a person.
“Does dressing show one’s character? Is there a way of dressing which can be said to be dignified or undignified?” she asked.
In response the girls concurred there was indeed dignified and inappropriate dressing.
“Yes, there is a disgraceful way of dressing where one walks almost in the nude. As an individual, look yourself in the mirror before leaving the home and do not move around pulling your dress into position,” one girl said.
Added Matron Muchikichi: “Ama2k (street lingo for children born in the new millennium) think walking in the nude is fashionable. They wear crop tops, tight clothes and ripped jeans. My daughters your dressing defines you. It speaks about your background. Walking in the nude embarrasses your mother because you have the same stature as her.
“Do your parents know of the clothes you wear at college or you hide them from them and only wear them here? My daughters dress appropriately at all times. Peer pressure is ruinous,” she said.
Mrs Yeukai Guuriro tackled the topic on submission.
“Submission works at home, school and the workplace. It also shows your humility. To those who are married, are you submitting to your husbands or you feel as degreed people you cant be told what to do? Are you respecting your husband or your in-laws?” she said.
The students were so happy with what they were taught and roundly thanked Amai Mnangagwa for her educative programme.
“Thank you Amai for coming up with this programme under which we have learnt a lot. Indeed we are misbehaving but we promise you we will stop and be good girls. In universities and colleges we were having what we call ‘Semester marriages’ where we would cohabit with boys but next term they will be living with someone else,” they said.
The First Lady thanked the children for accepting to be corrected.
“My children I am happy that you have accepted to be corrected. Know why you are in school. You are expected to uplift your families, so make them proud. Be strengthened by your background and not yield to peer pressure.
“Be content with what you have. Your parents sold chickens and goats to pay your fees yet you return home without a certificate. Instead you take back diseases, is that good? Do not pain our hearts as parents. It takes a village to raise a child that is why we came here to teach you and strengthen you. We want to hear of those who transform the lives of their parents and their communities. Shun drugs my children and be dignified people. Do not be fooled and led on destructive paths,” she said to applause.
Chief Superintendent Tambudzai Gumpo, the Police Officer commanding Gweru urban, highlighted that there was a lot of mischief at universities.
Male students from universities, polytechnic colleges and vocational training centres being taught traditional values, culture and how they should behave by traditional chiefs and other elders during gota programme organised by First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa at Midlands State University on Sunday.
“Indeed children are engaging in mischief. Both boys and girls are taking drugs. Our children are always intoxicated, compromising their health. We find them sleeping in the roads and as police officers we take them to hospital thinking they would have been knocked down by cars yet they would have taken drugs and will wake up after 4 days. Vanenge vakasticker Amai. Today they have benefitted a lot and we are grateful for your programme,” she said.
The boys who were in the Gota were thankful for the lessons they hand been taken through.
Welensky Kumapenda from Madziva Teachers’ College in Mashonaland Central Province could not hide his joy.
“We have learnt quite a lot through the First Lady’s teachings. This programme has enabled us to return to our culture of old. As boys of today we are no longer consulting our elders on how to go about it when entering marriage and how to look after ourselves after the Gota season. We are yielding to peer pressure. But here we have learnt the essence of communicating with our elders and the need to introduce our partners to families before marriage so that they can trace her background and assess her background. We have learnt that there is mjolo and serious love relationships in preparation for marriage. Mjolo is not allowed. We learnt that we need to use our hands to earn money and not get it through wrong means. We were also taught not to take drugs so that we lead clean lives,” he said.
Mr Taurai Sengerai, the Dean of students at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) expressed gratitude to the First Lady for her well-meaning programmes.
“What has brought us here are the splendid programmes of our mother,” he said. “She has brought together all higher and tertiary education institutions so that we return to our dignified morals of old and live well because we face many stumbling blocks in the way we are living today.
“We are grateful that in the Gota we had more than five chiefs who were teaching the boys the importance of good morals. There were open discussions as the children openly asked questions as we answered them.
“What came out eloquently was the need for the children to treasure their education. When you meet girls, respect them and not do things that affect both your lives and those of the girls. Discipline was stressed and so was the need to go back to our grandmothers and grandfathers for advice.
“It also came out that some relations with grandparents are shacky but we were challenged to correct this. Children attend school so that they learn so the children were taught many things like slaughtering goats, listening to elders as reminders that even when we are in the global village, we must enter with our norms and values that helps us.”
After the Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba session, there was a tour of exhibition stands whereby the universities showcased types of cleverly-packaged traditional dishes that were prepared by the students to enhance the appeal of indigenous dishes.
The dishes varied according to provinces they come from.
The dishes included madora rolls, vegetable samp snacks, baobab candies, stuffed deep fried macimbi, traditional fruit cake, sorghum cake, mnyi cookies, baobab fruit salad, madora balls, tsubvu cupcakes, sorghum wraps, sweet potatoes Duchess and matemba balls.
There was sweet potato and avocado salad, tsubvu, baobab and mviyo juice, sweet potato crisps, Zvirimubindu (traditional garden).
Also on display were dried fish in peanut butter, rice in peanut butter, dried mushrooms, huputirwa hwemadima, rabbit roll stuffed with pumpkin leaves, madhumbe crotchets, Mudzonga wenyemba, huputirwa hwemadora, matemba springrolls, Great Zimbabwe monuments made using flour, Duchess Sweet (sweet potatoes stuffed with mutsine, Mawuyu/nhunguru/tsubvu, trifall harurwa/mushroom/magandari pizza.
Women under the Agric4she programme also displayed their produce, including traditional grains.
The First Lady later addressed the gathering and thanked them for wishing her a happy Mothers’ Day.
She thanked the students for the warm reception extended to her by all tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe with the guidance of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development and other Stakeholders both in the public and private sector.
“I am humbled by these celebrations of the work that I am doing across the country and would like to express my immense gratitude,” she said. “Celebrations such as these celebrations such as these give me strength to continue with the work I am passionately carrying out.
“I am extremely impressed by young adults in the tertiary sector who are receptive of the wave of cultural renaissance through programmes such as nhanga/gota/ixhiba and traditional cookout competitions that I formulated with the aim of reinstalling unhu/ubuntu.
“Indeed this has proven that innovation and culture have a common place in society. Programmes such as nhanga/gota/ixhiba an age old tradition which we are both reviving has largely been oriented towards inculcating in students life skills that include self discovery, self esteem, traditional knowledge systems, efficacy, self confidence, and most importantly of all, self actualisation. The theoretical framework of these cultural programmes encapsulates gender roles and how they are complimentary and should work in unison in order to progress.”
The First Lady highlighted that she had been working closely with educational institutions and that she has engaged on multiple occasions, students in tertiary institutions and at all times deliberations have proven to be fruitful.
“As the ambassador for health, I am pleased that while touring the stands displayed, I saw a vast exhibition of our traditional foods,” she said. “I will continue to reiterate that we need to develop a culture of health and wellness through healthy food and exercising.
“Thank you my children. I am glad that the academic sector is taking this up and there is need to research further on our traditional foods and their medicinal properties. We are fortunate enough that healthy food is affordable as compared to other economies and this advantageous standpoint should be fully exploited.
“Zimbabwe is an agrarian nation and academics and professionals to be, should fully utilize knowledge systems to ensure maximum harvest especially in planting our traditional grains which are not only healthy but weather resistant and guarantee a sizeable harvest. There needs to be a chronicling process for lessons learnt as illustrated by the displays here so that this cultural revival phenomenon does not die.
“Those who come after you should be well versed in the ethos of Afrocentricity and the importance of self awareness and identity. I would like to take this opportunity to remind all gathered that Zimbabwe is a culturally and racially diverse country and as much as we celebrate our culture, we should also tolerate and appreciate other cultures of fellow Zimbabweans.”
Gender sensitivity, Dr Mnangagwa said, remained central in relations among youth and that that men and women can coexist as their roles in society compliment each other.
Female students from universities, polytechnic colleges and vocational training centres contribute their views during nhanga programme with First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa during the 2023 National Culture Festival at Midlands State University on Sunday.
“Everyone is important where they are and we should respect each other as much as we respect ourselves,” she said. “As parents, we are saddened by the drug pandemic ravaging our society. Our youth have replaced hard work with delinquency and this has destroyed a lot of destinies that had world changing potential.
“Young ladies and gentlemen, ingesting drugs is the same as committing suicide. The end result is premature death. You have your whole lives ahead of you and a nation to build. Our mantra as a nation regardless of belief or differences is nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
“How do we then build if the architects and the masons who can build the house of stone dzimbamabwe are intoxicated with drugs. Let us introspect and choose wisely.”
The mother of the nation said nowadays education was not for one to seek employment but to create employment.
“Think outside the box, use your knowledge to create innovative solutions for problems being faced by society and earn a living from that,” she said. “But always remember that knowledge without moral values stemmed from cultural beliefs is inadequate.
“Your qualifications can only take you as far, but a cultured behaviour will take you further. This period of your lives is the decisive factor that will make or break your future and it is of paramount importance that you use your time wisely. Your parents are fighting tooth and nail to keep you in school so that you succeed yet some of you come here and consummate semester marriages.
“Are you aware the very person you are cohabiting with can dump you the moment your pocket money is finished and seek another partner? Learn with all your might and earn degrees and not expend time chasing after boys and girls getting bad names.”
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science, Innovation and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira, who was represented by his deputy Raymond Machingura, said the First Lady’s cultural programmes dovetailed with the heritage based Education 5.0 design which the Government of Zimbabwe was implementing.
“The world over, nations are identified through their culture, which includes the technology and aspirations that embody that culture,” he said. “Amai we appreciate the culture programmes nhanga/gota/ixhiba, traditional cookout competitions you are rolling out throughout the country, teaching our young boys and girls the values of our culture and teaching the importance of our traditional foods. It is important that our youths understand our culture as Zimbabweans.
“As the Ministry we are excited to be associated with your culture programmes. We thank you for your selfless dedication in serving this nation. You have travelled the whole country championing the needs of the vulnerable in society, leaving no place and no one behind.”
Minister Mavima described Dr Mnangagwa as a tireless champion of the values of Ubuntu.
“In you Amai, we see a tireless champion of the values of ubuntu, a defender of children’s and women’s rights. We also see a philanthropist. You are an inspiration to all. We celebrate you and happy Mother’s day,” he said.
Various awards were given to the students that came out tops in the exhibitions categories of traditional utensils, traditional innovations, overall best exhibition (food category), traditional fruits, best traditional desserts, traditional vegetables, best traditional artefacts, outstanding traditional male costume, outstanding female traditional costume, most organised group among many other categories.
Online Reporter