MY dear Ambuya Sophia Tsvatayi Muchini

I am your muzukuru, a true son of the soil, wondering in the wilderness in search for the true meaning of life.
I am Hungwe, Mawuruka, son of Mhambu, son of Chemhere, son of Chikurupati, son of Matonhodze, Chirwa being zitateguru racho.
Wondering is in the blood.
From uShiri to Gutu to Buhera and finally Magangara, it has been a troubling journey.
Two weeks ago I was in Chivi for a winter Bira.
On my way back I passed through the Zimbabwe they call Great Zimbabwe.
Early in the morning, one of your zvizukuru took me on a tour of this great Zimbabwe shrine.
During the tour he gave me a sad and horrific account of your life at Great Zimbabwe.
I doubted him, convinced he was exaggerating facts, ndaiti aiwedzera sauti munyaya.
Back in the madness of Harare I have had an opportunity to check the account against published accounts in books, newspapers and journals.
The account has chillingly confirmed all I heard as true.
I feel I have woken from a nightmare.
Today I feel your anger and am shrouded in your patriotism great heroine of our Second Chimurenga.
That the great Mbuya Nehanda saw it fit to reside in you and in that state you helped execute our liberation struggle makes you a chosen one for whom history will remember for posterity.
It is the later aspect that has made me write a public letter to you.
I hope through this the nation may share in your trials and tribulations and come out strengthened on the need to be cleansed of this terrible madness that afflicts us. It is for this reason that I requested one of your zvizukuru to make an appointment for me to record orally your life story which I believe is in many respects Zimbabwe’s story.
Ambuya I have gathered information on how, as Nehanda’s homwe, you settled around Great Zimbabwe in 1974 to give spiritual direction to a critical phase of our struggle for liberation.
Many comrades recall how you used to advise and assist them.
Indeed through your direct efforts many young men and women joined the struggle and considered you as a ‘commander’.
Your role attracted the attention of Rhodesian security forces.
You suffered at the hands of the settler regime.
In 1978 one of your sons was shot dead, in full view of you and your other young children.
For that you served time in Ian Smith’s jail.
On your release, you remained steadfast in your support for the struggle.
Your efforts helped in transforming the Great Zimbabwe area, and symbolically Zimbabwe, into a liberated zone.
You contributed to the Gukurahundi war effort; two hotels in ashes and white offices at the shrine closed by June 1979.
Thank you Ambuya.
Smith and his dogs were incensed.
A month later they threw you back into prison only to release you a week after the 1980 elections.
On your release, you returned to Great Zimbabwe.
You were not blinded by the independence euphoria.
There were spiritual, mental and land wars still to be fought.
You requested for help and understanding in doing two things; one a national ceremony to thank our ancestors for independence and two a ceremony to settle spirits of the dead comrades and cleansing of the living ones.
For making that request you were labelled by Rhodesian authorities and their black sidekicks a lunatic.
Police, acting on orders from monuments authorities, destroyed your home and labelled you a squatter.
A newly independent Zimbabwe watched powerlessly this lunacy against you.
Your cries for help did not fall on deaf ears.
Liberated comrades like Herbert Ushewokunze and those at nearby Assembly Point came to your rescue.
They offered to protect their spiritual commander.
Emotions boiled over and two white settler/squatters were killed.
For that your home was stormed by police, burnt and several comrades killed.
You and others were arrested and charged with murder.
Your two children, aged 12 and 14, were also arrested and detained for nine months.
Ambuya am sorry, I was not aware of this shame as we celebrated Uhuru through the sounds of the Four Brothers and Jairos Jiri bands.
They tried you, found you guilty as charged and sentenced you to death.
I will not comment on the trial Ambuya for fear of contempt of court, but hey!
Am glad that final wish was thwarted by the ancestors and now you have opportunity to finish off the work.
How do you finish the work?
You must be wondering Ambuya.
Yours is a sad and fascinating story Ambuya, just like the story of Zimbabwe. Sadly all we know, including the content in this letter, about you Ambuya is from stories written and told by white-men.
However, well-meaning some of them maybe they are bound to stray in prejudice. This story of Zimbabwe and you is best told by you Ambuya.
And all I seek is to help you tell this story, dear Ambuya.
I had two fascinating dreams whose meaning I hope you shall decode in between testimonies of the Zimbabwe story, your story.

Your loving Muzukuru
Munhamu Pekeshe