By the rev Dr Levee Kadenge
Zimbabwe
is endowed with traditions that have stood the test of time. These are culture
and religion. The two are very tricky to separate. Where one
is, the other is. Unfortunately, when Europeans came they made it their prime
task to get rid of these two pillars of the African communities.
Before
the coming of the whites, this land was controlled by chiefs and paramount
chiefs who had jurisdiction over large pieces of land guided by Munhumutapa and
Lobengula in the south. The latter had just come in from South Africa and
settled in what is now called Matabeleland.
Whites
came in when there were two major tribes: the Mashonas who spoke Shona and
Ndebeles who spoke IsiNdebele. Within the boundaries were other minority
tribes that comprised among them, the Kalanga, Sotho, Venda, Tonga, Vapfumbi,
maTshangana and Shangwe in designated parts of the country.
The Shona
were divided into five groups, Korekore, Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika and Ndau.
Among these various groups would be variations of both cultural and religious
practices. At the end of the 17th century whites started coming in, adding
another dimension into the mosaic religious and cultural differences that
already existed.
Instead
of whites accommodating what they found obtaining in the form of traditions
which were expressed both through cultural and religious practices, they
embarked on direct confrontation against the two. Their aim was to completely
change all that they came across by introducing the church and the school. This
is the time colonialists and missionaries established their basis in order to
control and subdue the people and the land and everything the people owned and
practised.
All these
people inhabiting the land had complete systems that ran their affairs as
regards both culture and religion. The forest was both the chemist and
supermarket of all time. Whatever man wanted he got from the forest in
abundance; fresh and natural.
Traditional
food was and is still the best legacy given to us by our forefathers.
Today any doctor who does not recommend traditional foodstuffs has to
interrogate his/her conscience. Thank God there is still a lot of it for us to
take and restore our health. Ignoring our food is just as good as
committing suicide.
These
people did not lack anything in terms of their everyday lives. They had an
elaborate health system that dealt with all ailments to the extent that there
were experts who specialised in different diseases that affected society. They
also had an intact cultural life that was satisfying to them. Their religion
gave them the latitude to exercise their faculties which led them to enjoy life
on a daily basis. Dance and song made life make sense.
Traditional
religion was their way of life. It affected all facets of their lives. Food was
the best ever. It was both nutritious and medicinal. One did not need a
chemist. Indeed, health provision was a total package. They say you are what
you eat and you eat what you are.
Midwives
were in abundance and carried their duties with expert hands. Medicine men and
women had the best herbs for all the ailments that affected people. This
was real, we are not just romanticising.
Surgeries,
both caesarean and other complicated injuries were conducted using sharp iron
knives that were made from iron ore that had long been mined in Hwedza
mountains.
Experts/mhizha
were all over villages and these processed iron ore into steel which eventually
was sold to traders for use in various tasks as cutting tools. Goat skins would
be used to blow furnaces that burnt iron and turned it into steel with ease. Those
gifted with such talents would spend days on end blowing these furnaces to
produce as much steel as possible, some of which was exported. Barter trade was
the game in the nation.
Legend
has it that even brain surgeries were conducted in the villages with great
success rates. It is believed that the biblical King Solomon came for the iron
ore from these mountains.
Those who
specialised in treating particular diseases would be the most sought after in
the length and breath of the land. Mental cases were dealt with
successfully. In essence, no health complaint was left unattended. There
were specialists who dealt with such cases.
On the
cultural aspect, it should be noted that education began in the home and
knowledge impartation was systematically done by all those who had roles in
bringing up the young ones.
Homesteads/villages became the education centres which were then assisted by the expanded community which supervised the norms and values of different communities. Each community was expected to produce people who would fit into the society and be acknowledged as worthy by surrounding villages. The family was the centre. Families were either monogamous or polygamous. The latter came into being when a man could afford to marry as many wives as he could.
Marriage
was at the centre of African life. Tokens were given to parents of wives as
ways of cementing marriages. A hoe was enough to give to one’s in-laws as
lobola.
Cattle
also could exchange hands as lobola. These were family affairs. No individual
would marry his/her daughters without the involvement of the extended
family. The whole family came together with representatives of the one
who would be coming to marry congregating for the purpose of executing the
marriage. As it took the whole village to raise a child, it also took a village
to marry a couple.
An
elaborate system of relationships was at the centre of African lives. To
this effect, everyone is related to everyone through societal links; be they
marriages, friendships and collaborations even in war. Alliances were common
when a particular group would help the other in times of need, for example when
fending off an enemy. Cross tribal marriages were arranged to bring harmony
among different groups.
The
church and the school became the ideological tools while the colonialist
represented the repressive power which did not hesitate even to use the gun to
force people to comply. The fact that Christianity and colonialism came at the
same time, is something which will continue to occupy us as we study the
effects of these two institutions. One wonders what would have happened
if these two institutions came at different times?
When
confronted with these two arms of western power, African culture and religions
took a back seat. They had to retreat for survival
The best
the colonial governments and the churches did was to preserve local languages,
vehicles of cultural and religious values. Let those with ears hear.
Levee
Kadenge is a theologian based at United Theological College. He can be
contacted on leveekadenge@gmail.com
