RAINMAKERS, commonly referred to Amahosana, have reportedly abandoned the sacred Njelele rainmaking shrine in Matobo, Matabeleland South province, to join apostolic sects.
Njelele has since time immemorial been used by people from various parts of the country and abroad for rainmaking ceremonies and healing of various ailments that affected their communities.
However, Southern Eye gathered that the traditional rainmaking ceremonies were no longer practised after Amahosana left.
“Those who were originally meant to dance for the rain have abandoned the traditional practice,” a traditional leader who preferred anonymity said.
Historian and educationist Pathisa Nyathi said the developments were not surprising when most of the people have chosen to adopt foreign and modern cultures.
“When the pillars of belief change, things begin to fall apart,” Nyathi said.
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“So you can’t expect the Hosanna people to go and dance for the rain when the community no longer subscribes to that [belief]. It will not work hence they become irrelevant.
“So don’t think that Christianity was not doing its work.
“It was and the whole idea was that Africans must abandon everything African, in particular their African indigenous spirituality and subsume that with religion known as Christianity that does not subscribe to African rainmaking ceremonies.”
Chief Nyangazonke said the developments were worrying.
“We should sit down with Amahosanna, traditional healers, induna and many more others who dance for the rain,” he said.
“Another thing is people have adopted modern cultures and they no longer care to follow our culture. People, especially the young now look down upon our culture and traditional beliefs.”
The custodian of Njelele shrine, Tobheka Ncube, said he was also of the belief that many have turned their backs on traditional rituals, values and beliefs.
“We urge the government to revisit the issue of sacred places and enact laws to protect these shrines and elevate them to national heritage status,” Ncube said.
In 2018, the sacred Njelele shrine was bombed by yet-to-be-identified suspects, who used mining explosives to blast the main rock that covers the shrine.