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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
The elders from Victoria Falls and surrounding areas finally conducted a cleansing ceremony on Saturday.

The community under Chief Mvutu covering Monde, Chisuma, Chidobe, Sizinda, Kachechete, Jengwe and Victoria Falls town is convinced that some of the calamities happening in their communities are a result of the anger of the “gods” hence conducting of rituals was now necessary.

Only a few selected elders from the Muzamba family representing the Tokaleya clan went to the shrine for the rituals.

The rest of the villagers patiently waited at one of the Muzamba’s homesteads for two things – good news that the cleansing ceremony had gone well and the start of merry making characterised by drinking traditional beer and eating meat.

The traditionalists believe cleansing the area and reviving such events will atone for the sins of the community and prevent famines, diseases, increased frequency of natural disasters including drowning in Zambezi River and attack by wild animals which they say are a result of defilement of sacred places.

A group of elders from the Muzamba family who are descendants of the Tokaleya clan, the original inhabitants of the area, conducted the ceremony at the Makonga shrine that had been abandoned for decades in a bush near Phakama Village between Chidobe and Chisuma.

The family’s spirit medium Gogo Margaret Muzamba and Mr Jafuta Muzamba led the rituals that involved singing, dancing and incantations directed at the clan’s ancestors to forgive the community.

They poured traditional beer on the ground and into a hole under a tree believed to be a haven for a snake that used to emerge during rituals.

Mr Muzamba said they used to conduct rituals such as rain making ceremonies at the shrine.

He said sacred places such as the Big Tree near the Victoria Falls Rainforest, Gorges Lodge and Katombora in Zambezi National Park where some human bones are said to be scattered on the ground, will also be visited.

Some of the places have been occupied by open air churches or fenced off by tour operating companies.

“This is where our ancestors used to conduct rainmaking ceremonies every September and perform other rituals to prevent dangers. There was a snake at this shrine and some drums that could be heard from inside the tree trunk during the ceremonies. We are trying to revive all these practices that had long been abandoned because of interference from other cultures,” said Mr Muzamba.

He said the ceremony will be made an annual event as part of the revival of cultural practices.

Mr Muzamba said a fence will be erected around the shrine to protect the place.

Some churches had reportedly started conducting services at the tree while villagers also go there to pick baobab fruits.

“The chief once approached us after some churches started conducting services here. This is part of what defiled all the sacred places as people disrespect custom,” said Mr Muzamba.

The Tokaleya clan is a group of Tonga people also found across the Zambezi River in Zambia under Chief Mukuni and in Zimbabwe are linked to Chief Dingani-Nelukoba of Mabale.

Gogo Muzamba, who took over from Gogo Chibumbuluke who was the family’s spirit medium, said while the shrine had been cleansed, it will take time for the calamites to end.

“All these calamities are a result of abandonment and disrespect of culture. When we were growing up, no one was allowed to play in the Zambezi River or cross without performing a ritual like throwing something valuable in water. All this stopped because we had abandoned our culture and the situation wwas worsned by the disrespect of some churches and strangers,” said Gogo Muzamba.

“Even if you go to church, it is important to respect your own culture and that of other people. It will take time for these calamities to end because the damage had already been done but we are happy to be able to appease the spirits to save our culture and society at large. We wish the young generation can be taught about this.”

The traditionalists implored authorities to consult traditional leaders before initiating any infrastructural projects to avoid tampering with sacred places.-@ncubeleon