Online Reporter
IN his book “The Matabele journals of Robert Moffat’’, the British missionary nicknamed Mtshede by King Mzilikazi, makes an astonishing statement. He says “a doctor would find it difficult to live among the Matabele for I never met with a more healthy people.”
Moffat, a missionary had travelled around Africa meeting numerous nations and tribes. He himself practiced medicine. But the total health of the Matabele/Ndebele/Mthwakazi astonished him. So what was it about their health?
Moffat lists common African and European diseases absent among the Matabele. No skin diseases despite their prevalence, among the Griquas and people of the Orange River (Orange Free State). No Consumption (Tuberculosis — a common disease in England and Europe at that time. No pulmonary complaints — no pneumonia, no flu, asthma, bronchitis etc. No rhuematism ( arthritis etc). These diseases never existed among the Ndebele. Instead they suffered from a seasonal fever (inyongo and malaria) during the rainy season.
Other European missionaries and explorers describe the Matabele as of imposing physical stature, often six foot tall ( 1,82m ) and incredibly fit compared to the average height of a British man in the 1900s, which was just 1,67m. The Boers, who fought against the Matabele in 1836 -1838 noted that a Ndebele army marched 80 kilometres a day into battle! They were essentially warrior marathon runners!
Other factors like strict hygiene contributed to the good health of the Matabele. European visitors to Matabeleland noted how clean villages and homesteads were. Cleanliness is a value treasured to this day and taught, especially to girls and practiced rigorously, although in some cases it borders on obsessive compulsive disorders
Diet played a huge role in the health of Matabeles. A diet of mostly meat and dairy (protein diets) supported by wholegrain seed starch mostly millets touted today as super foods , supplemented by seasonal fruit and vegetables put the Ndebele way ahead of their times in nutrition. Obesity though became prevalent among izikhulu. However the introduction of a maize diet in the 1900s subverted the excellent diet of the Matabele.
Colonialism took away cattle — almost a million head was taken by the Meikles brothers alone through loot committees. By the 1960s, few families owned large herds of cattle and most were impoverished when displaced through land apportionment and husbandry acts from the fertile lands to the emaguswini forests of Matabeleland North. Hunger and disease set in among the once healthy nation.
Herbs and treatments were another pillar of health. Traditional doctors could treat all kinds of conditions from barrenness to snake bites, cancer to mental health , using herbs. The elders explained to me that traditional herbs are an immunisation regime against illness hence growing up as kids we were subjected to treatments like colon cleansing (ukupeyidwa), purging (ukugabha), eating intolwane, isihaqa and other herbs that detoxed and strengthened the body. Sadly, the arrival of Christian beliefs demonised herbal treatments and eventually, the knowledge was lost.
Long life was a common feature, with some getting so old that clay had to be applied on their broken skin (ukubhadwa), some like Mazha Dlodlo living to 113 years! My own grandmother died at 106! As the Cultural revival of the Matabele takes place, so should the revival in the healthy lifestyles of our ancestors! Mayibuye i-Africa!
CHIEF MAYISA
