Online Reporter
Mthabisi Tshuma recently in Dombodema, Bulilima
TRADITIONALIST from across Zimbabwe converged at KoManyangwa shrine in Bulilima district, Matabeleland South, for a sacred rainmaking ceremony aimed at bringing abundant rains and a fruitful harvest for the coming season.
The shrine, located at Tjehanga Village, about 30km from Plumtree, is believed to hold spiritual solutions for troubled people and plays a vital role in the community’s agricultural hopes.
Known as Umtolo in Ndebele, Mayile in Kalanga and Mukwerera in Shona, the ceremony is performed before or at the onset of the rainy season to appease the land and ancestral spirits.
“We were at Khulu Manyangwa for three days performing rituals as we approach the rainy season,” said Elias Sibanda, leader of the Amawosana traditional group.
“During this period, it is taboo to do any work. There was singing, dancing and drinking of traditional beer as part of the ceremony.”
Women play a key role in the rituals by brewing traditional beer, while young children — who are not yet sexually active — also participate, symbolising purity and continuity.
Traditionalists believe that when the ritual is properly conducted, rains often begin to fall during the ceremony or shortly afterwards.
The practice is deeply rooted in African tradition, where it is believed that people do not own the land, but the land owns the people. If the land is angered, it withholds rain, leading to drought and hardship.
This belief is not unique to Zimbabwe. Across the globe — from ancient Chinese Wu Shamans to indigenous communities in the Americas and Australia — rainmaking rituals have been performed for centuries to connect humanity with nature.
The KoManyangwa ceremony coincided with the launch of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) project at Dombodema High School, aimed at preserving and promoting traditional practices for future generations.
“We are optimistic that the coming season will bless us with good rains,” Sibanda said with hope.
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