By Elliott Siamonga

THE link between the living and dead is very close, much closer among the BaTonga than in European society.
The BaTonga just like any other African tribe love and revere their dead and in time of need, turn to their dead or ancestors in the same way Christians turn to God.
During the liberation struggle of Zimbabwe, guardian spirits were also revered by liberation war fighters who sought their guidance in times of need.
They believed the war was won because of the guardian spirits of Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi as well as other icons who lived in the past.
The actions of the traditionally raised BaTonga are dominated by this combination of love and fear of the spirits, for they believe the guardian spirits can punish as well as protect and will bring sickness and even death to those who disregard or forget them.
According to the BaTonga elders the needs and wishes of the guardian spirits or Bamchimba must not be questioned and sometimes, even if the family has broken no rules and is leading a good life, one of the spirits may bring sickness to a member merely because it wants to be remembered.
Elders also said guardian spirits are easily upset if religious ritual is omitted.
For instance, a burial at which the prescribed ritual had been forgotten would certainly arouse the wrath of the spirit and the guilty family would be punished, though the offended spirit might not show its annoyance until months or even years after the event.
It is impossible to foretell the guardian spirit will strike according to the elders.
It may cause an illness severe enough for the family to consult a n’anga and more often than not the victim is an infant or a child.
This is because a child is the BaTonga greatest treasure and if it becomes ill, parents will be so upset that they will be only too anxious to propitiate the aggrieved spirit.
The spirits of both parents and grandparents are able to inflict an illness, but the spirit which requires to be revered and remembered above all others is that of the grandmother or matriarch as opposed to other tribes where the spirit of the grandfather is revered.
Among the BaTonga this is the spirit that is most held responsible for the sickness.
According to the elders, one way of honouring the spirit of the grandmother is to name a cow after her, the cow is spanned with other domestic animals, but it may not be sold or killed unless the departed matriarch asks for it- through a n’anga it will then be sacrificed at a special ceremony, after which the head of the family prays for the matriarch, informing her that her wishes have been carried out and asking her to keep the family well and free from all trouble.
However, in other tribes the spirit of the grandfather is honoured with a bull named after him it is sacrificed more or less in the same manner as the BaTonga matriarch cow.
The BaTonga believe the grandfather’s spirit, too, can be annoyed and inflict most ferocious punishments.
If for instance during life, he was not presented with a token of appreciation in the form of a bull from his family, he is almost certain to remember the slight after death.
However, BaTonga elders say the spirits of a dead father or mother are not involved in any retribution as frequently as the spirits of the grandparents.
In some tribes, for example, the Shona and Makorekore, only the spirits of grandparents are important; for they believe that no man or woman can receive a proper place in the next world unless he or she has a grandchild, which may explain the great desire of these tribes to bear children.
The BaTonga’s admiration for Western civilisation and its achievements has not deflected them from their attachment to their guardian spirits and many who profess Christianity would hesitate to deny their conviction that the spirits of their departed ancestors wield great influence over their lives.
The BaTonga are easily upset by any suggestion that their parents were primitive or uneducated; one of the features of their religion is that, even if their parents did not or are not leading very admirable lives, they are still remembered kindly and reverently by their children.
They believe after death there are no recriminations and the spirit lives in company with and on an equal basis with other spirits.
It is also believed that guardian spirits are not only upset if a religious practice or customs are broken or neglected, but also if a son is cruel or unkind to his parents or speaks harshly to them.
Although according to the BaTonga guardian spirits do not approve of bad deeds such as stealing and adultery, they as a rule leave punishment of such crimes to the law of the land or to the n’anga, who has special powers for discovering such wrongdoers.
But occasionally a matriarch spirit may notice that one of the family members is committing an anti-social act and it will then speak to the villagers through a medium of a grandchild or son and warn them that unless he stops he will be discovered and punished.
An example of the BaTonga’s close relationship is their silent prayer of thanks every time they receive any kind gift, also whenever they undertake an important venture, they will pray to the spirits to ask for support so that the outcome will be successful.
Guardian spirits exercise restraining influence which affects the daily behaviour of the BaTonga today.
Tradition is treasured by the conservative BaTonga and for this reason progressive opinions and new ideas often encounter great opposition among the older BaTonga generation.
The guardian spirits they hold, do not encourage their earthly children to strive for progress, and consequently they feel that what was good enough for their grandfathers and grand mothers is good for them.
Owing to the rapid social, economic and political changes that are taking place in the country today, the practices of genuine spirit ritual are dying out, but the underlying belief remains strong, and even if fewer families keep a bull in honour of the grandfather’s spirit, a cow or its equivalent must still be given to the bride’s mother by the bridegroom.
Possibly the reason for continuing this is the fear that, after death, she might cause sterility in her daughter or grand daughters.