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122 Observance of traditional holy days An article appeared in the Sunday News about two Seventh Day Adventist Church members being reported by a neighbourhood watch committee in Nkayi for failing to observe a traditional rest day. The weekly rest day, which is never the same in all areas of Zimbabwe, is called chisi in Shona. There does not seem to be an Ndebele equivalent for this day. In the Nguni world, the observance only exists through contact with the Kalanga, who have come to observe the day. However, this should not create an impression that the Nguni did not observe a holy day. The day when there was no moon was regarded as a holy day and no agricultural activities were undertaken. Nor did izinyanga work on this day. Chisi is a religious phenomenon connected with the Shona-KalangaNambiya world. Chisi should, therefore, be understood as an environmental ideology hammered out on the anvil of the relationship between religion and conservation. Professor Terence Ranger in his book, Voices from the Rocks, quotes Michael Ncube, formerly of Hlekwini, who says: “Njelele used to lay down everything – when to plant, when to eat certain plants, when to reap...” Matabeleland South, including Tsholotsho, Bubi, and parts of Nkayi and Lupane in Matabeleland North observe Wednesday as a chisi. These seem to be the areas that come under the direct influence and control of Njelele. In the Gokwe area, where the Nevana spirit medium holds sway, the day of rest is Thursday. During the time of King Lobengula, Nevana was referred to as Salukazana, or Salgazana in some colonial literature. The Jambezi area in Hwange also observes Thursdays. Wonder Kuimba of Mashonaland West reports that, in his area, which is under the influence of the spirit medium of Nyamuswa, Thursday is observed as a holy day. Nyamuswa’s area of influence covers Makonde, Hurungwe and Chinhoyi. Mashonaland Central, according to Christopher Chihota, observes Friday as a holy day. The spirit medium of Kasvamundzira (in charge of Bindura) and Matope (in charge of Mount Darwin) among others, control this. David Dumbuka from Gutu says they observe Thursdays as holy days. However, in the past, it used to be Wednesday. From Manicaland, Charles Maunze says some parts of the province observe Wednesdays. A survey of the whole country seems to indicate that the holy days are either Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. In my limited research, I 123 did not come across an area that observes Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays or Sundays as holy days. While the holy days differ from place to place, there is agreement as to the prohibitions associated with the day. On the chosen holy day, communities were prohibited from undertaking agricultural activities such as ploughing, planting, weeding and harvesting. Izinyanga also did not perform their medical functions. Traditionally, an alliance of chiefs and spirit mediums enforced the observance of the day. As nationalism took hold in the late fifties and early sixties, loyalty to traditional practices was considered important. In the Nkayi and Lupane districts, the situation was confused (Ranger, 1999). Some people looked to Njelele for the rain and others to the Nevana medium in Gokwe. Njelele adherents observed Wednesday as their rest day; Nevana adherents observed Thursday. This created problems in the scheduling of meetings in the two districts. It was finally resolved that everyone south of the Shangani River should go to Njelele and north of it everyone should go to Nevana. Anyone who broke the observance was punished. At the spiritual level an individual could have his crops destroyed by baboons or other pests. Sometimes lightning could strike his homestead. At the secular level, punishment was meted out by the chief. An individual who failed to observe a holy day could be fined an animal, such as a goat or sheep, or even a bucket of uphoko. Sometimes these fines were added to the Zunde raMambo (Tithe for the King). “At the end of the day the chief would eat it (the fine) on behalf of the people,” says Charles Maunze with a sarcastic smile. If an individual persisted in defying the custom, he could even be evicted from the chief’s area. It was feared he would bring bad omens to the rest of the people. It was religious sacrilege to plough on a chisi – akarima paachisi/walima ngosuku lokuzila. With the rise of rural nationalism, “the ideology of the cult was used to rebuke and repress the acquisitive aspirations of Christian entrepreneurs. This expressed itself mainly...

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