CHAMINUKA is a most revered spirit in Shona traditions but hardly mentioned in modern Shona history.
In fact Chaminuka receives more mention, as an intelligence concept, during the struggle for independence and in post-independent Zimbabwe than as a pre-colonial concept.
An often repeated claim is that Chaminuka prophesied the coming of Europeans and Lobengula’s eventual defeat by the European army; kuchauya vasina mabvi vachakunda pfumo remadzviti, the spirit is said to have proclaimed.
Less than a decade later, the Pioneer Column arrived after the BSA Company had annexed Mashonaland as a British colony.
This act eventually led to the Anglo-Ndebele war in 1893 during which Lobengula’s force was defeated despite their gallantry at Pupu.
Incidentally a few days ago I came across, from sources I have no reason to doubt, information that Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s grandfather paid the supreme price during that display of gallantry at Pupu.
I digress.
The Chaminuka prophesy, now credited to many other territorial spirits, and has either been distorted or misunderstood, especially as prophesy for coming of whites.
Vasinamabvi, wearers of long trousers, as a racial concept had had permanent resident status in this country for a thousand years prior to the chilling prophesy given to Lobengula.
Islamic traders, moors, from Arabia, East Africa and Persia had long carried out friendly trade relations with the Shona over many centuries.
In terms of dressing, these traders very well fitted the description of vasinamabvi.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese landed on the East African coast.
As traders and missionaries they ventured into the interior and operated from within and without the Mutapa State.
Again these fitted the vasinamabvi description.
History records that these Portuguese Christians co-existed happily with Islamic and hosting African communities.
The decades old easy going friendly trade relations between Portuguese Christians, Moslem traders and Africans came to a premature end with the arrival of an overzealous Jesuit, Father Gonzalo da Silveira.
Father Silveira an overzealous nobleman, belonged to the then recently established Jesuit Order.
He was intolerant to Islam and African religion.
He sought to ensure that Islam, Jewish beliefs and African traditional religion were eradicated from the Mutapa State.
Father Silveira’s strategy was to convert the young and impressionable Mutapa, Negomo Mupunzagutu, hoping that this would lead to mass conversions of Mutapa subjects.
Father Silveira hoped that such an act would overnight turn Zambezian commerce to the advantage of Portugal and Rome.
When Father Silveira arrived at Mutapa court in 1561 he was well received by the royal court.
He was offered many presents including gold and women, but he refused.
This and curiosity over idols that Father Silveira presented to Negomo made a huge impression on the King and his mother.
They quickly converted and were duly baptised into Christianity.
The king’s dare and Islamic traders, however, read through Father Silveira’s trickery.
The king’s advisors quickly arranged for Father Silveira’s elimination.
In March 1561 Father Silveira was killed and his body thrown into the Musengezi River.
The death of Father Silveira, however, only temporarily restored the friendly trade relations between Portuguese, Moslem and African traders.
In the medium to long term it nourished the resolve of Portugal to invade the Mutapa State and spread Christianity in these lands.
For the next over two centuries, the Mutapa State knew no peace as it repelled Portuguese led attacks and rebellions.
Surely the Chaminuka spirit would have been aware of this centuries old tempestuous relationship with Portuguese vasinamabvi.
Or could it be vasinamabvi meant other Europeans or the British?
By the time Mzilikazi settled near Inyathi, in the first half of the 19th century, he already had strong relations with whites.
One of them, Robert Moffat, became a close personal friend.
It was as a result of this friendship that the London Missionary Society was allowed to open the Inyathi station.
Lobengula’s reign as king was characterised by large settlements of whites close to his residence.
At his first Bulawayo, Jesuits, of Silveira notoriety, established a mission station in 1879.
Within his residence there was heavy presence of European traders.
When he moved to his second Bulawayo, Umvutcha kraal came to resemble a white settlement of vasinamabvi, hunters, concession seekers, traders and missionaries.
It was around this time that the Chaminuka prophesy is said to have been made.
Could the Chaminuka prophesy have been about guns?
Very unlikely, for both the Shona and Ndebele had used guns against white opponents before.
Most likely the wording has been edited with passage of time.
Chaminuka foresaw Lobengula’s defeat at the hands of whites.
The coming and presence of whites had been mumatare of our spiritual world for many centuries before.
I have been thinking about this. Could the term ‘vasina mabvi’ not also be symbolic of those who would not have respect for the ways of the African, those who would not ‘break their knees’ at those things and values deemed by the African as worthy.
A lot has been said about Chaminuka being a spirit medium which is wrong. The Zimbabwe historians claim to know about Chief Chaminuka but what they say is very wrong. Chaminuka was a Prophet and very different from Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi. He was a man of God sent to teach the black about the creator ( GOD ).
Its true he was a prophet n on my own opinion they had no differences with ambuya nehanda its only that they faced different situations on helping people bt in both ways the all helped us let’s come to reality in their tym they sacrificed every to help pple bt wat did they get in return death n after that false comments from the pple whom they fight for. Now our culture is closed down wat use to be important its now useless in the eyes of these young generations as for me l will always pay tribute to all my ancestors n my spirit mediums
CHAMUKA IS ONE OF MOST POWERFUL PROPHETS TO EVER LIVE IN ZIMBABWE …..I WONDER WHY ACHIONEKWA SA ASINA BASA PEOPLE DONT TALK MUCH ABOUT HIM AS ZIM’S HERO
I had a vision about Chaminuka ladies and gentlemen. The man was a prophet, he was shown what was to come. Its sad to note that he is not being appreciated and celebrated of the role he played and the role he is playing for the land between the two great rivers. In the vision he was complaining about a lot of issues including what i had stated earlier and that thats the reason why Zim is in chaos and that this will continue until we get a leadership who are reverend to to the spiritual. I want to strongly believe that the independence of Zimbabwe never came through the gun or pen…it was divine it was spiritual and we have to give back full appreciation to this institution.
Chaminuka was a Mhondoro not a Spirit of Chaminuka existed during liberation wars that is nonse rubish.Chaminuka was not a man of God or a prophet he was a MHondoro a man able to talk with mermaids or mermans that is Njuzi or njuzu.remember they are two types of Mhondoro the lion type and the mermaid type.he was exctally like Nehanda remember nehanda it’s a huge nagas snake found in Murehwa Mutoko Chipungu area and to Bhora going to harare.Chaminuka means the one that transfigures like that werewolf stories.Chaminuka could change from a human being into a lion or a merman.These kind of people leave a very secret kind of live writting them in history books is very difficult.its like greek mythology.think about shona mythology.They is a song we used to sing when were young “chaminuka ndimambo chaminuka ndimambo shumba inogara yega musango”…look at how he died.a cowardly death he allowed himself to be killed willingly not like Nehanda and Kaguvi they were captured.Njapa is the greatest heroine and leader Queen in Shona history and her father Kahwa these vahera Shava leaders they refused to be captured but rather disappeared with there people.Chaminuka mighty have given oracles as zvikiro because he was a mhondoro the same spirit with mermaids and prophetic spirit it’s one office.Vasina mabvi its the long leather shoes white people were wearing on horse back.We cannot appreaciate a coward who had so much power and mighty but choose to be killed by a child he went to hell,Chaminuka is rubish from Masvingo areas down there these conquered Shona va Vitori you should come were i’m from Zvimba maramba pfungwe murehwa mutoko still will stand”Mabuja” .chaminuka ayiwaba hwi ndaramba ini aribe heroism mwana wa nyamunhu uyu.when we were young they used to tell us that the greatest politician were from the masvingo areas but look at it conquered areas only.the reason why Zim was in chaos was beacause Chaminuka this nigga was useless thats why his cowardly death costed the leaders that come after would be killed by cowards like serial killers like Tongogara become leaders Nehanda Kaguvi Ziyapapa Moyo ,Mugabe his father was not a Zimbabwean but he become a leader imagine that.Chaminuka’s cowardly death gave birth to Shona serial killers.Shona mhondoro,zvikiro, tsikamotanda ,chipanga mazano these leaders become easy to kill because of his death.he should not have been killed. like that.”our land our heritage i will give it up to none “Njapa Mapofu muera Shawa.l’m pure shona.
I beg to differ with your notion Great Paul. To start of with you might need to check your history very well. Chaminuka as in Pasipamire was not a coward. After being shown the vision of how he was to die, he never tried to run away from death but he faced it. The Ndebele warriors as they tried to attack him through assegais and guns it was all to avail, until he told them that only an innocent boy could kill him. They then took a boy gave him a weapon and Chaminuka’s assassination became a success but before he died he prophesied the collapsed of the un-conquerable Ndebele state, which collapsed barely a year after his assassination after the disappearance of King Lobengula. So Chaminuka knew that his time was up as he had finished his assignment just like Jesus Christ the Son of God, He knew everything about His death but never ran away from it but faced it, even President Abraham Lincoln, Prophet Mohammed, Martin Luther King etc. These are all great men who were shown through prophecy howthey were to die but they never tried to avoid death…..that’s not cowardice instead that’s bravery at it’s highest level.
I’m with you Nyasha Joshua Mugabiri, except the chronology of events. Chaminuka was killed about 10 years prior to the Ndebele State’s collapse. If my memory serves me correctly, Chaminuka was assassinated on 25 March 1883 and the Ndebele State collapsed after the 1893/1894 war.