“This job called greatness, you don’t choose it,
You don’t pursue it, It comes to you like a
Thief in the night and grips you on
The chest, right on your dear life.
In a nutshell this job called greatness
You don’t choose it
IT chooses you.”
1840
A woman is in great pain. It is dark and the atmosphere outside is rather tense. The woman is sweating, her eyelids dilated as another contraction jolts through her body. The midwives are attending to her, one is wiping the sweat off her forehead, and the other telling her to push as the baby is almost coming out. At the dawn of the new day, an ear-splitting scream fills the atmosphere and a baby girl is welcomed to the planet. The father of the baby rushes into the hut to see the sex of the baby and to his great dismay, he is informed that it is a girl. He stomps out of the tent screaming heart-wrenching curses to his wife for failing to produce an heir for him and now his wife is met with a new kind of pain and disappointment.
The baby begins to cry, and the midwives try to shush her but the efforts are in vain. The mother on the other hand refuses to hold her own babe, at the agony of failing to produce the ever longed-for boy. From nowhere an Eastern wind blows mildly at first with a voice softly chanting the name Nyakasikana. But as the baby’s cries get louder the magnitude of the wind gets stronger. The voice becomes more audible and no longer soft as if screeching the name, “Nyakasikana”. Lightning strikes and lions begin to roar. The villagers, shake in fear and begin to wonder what is going on. Series of lighting fill the sky and the great n’anga (witch doctor) appears from nowhere walking beside her are two female lions and she looks like she is in a trance.
The villagers kneel as she passes, she gets to the hut and stretches out her hands. The midwife quietly hands over the baby girl to the n’anga, who begins to chant the Nyakasikana poem. She splashes lion urine on the baby and then lifts her up. “Auya zvino Nyakasikana, Mambokadzi, Murandakadzi… NEHANDA!” (here she is before us Queen NEHANDA!) And to that a great earthquake erupts, shaking violently, leaving everything amiss, except for her and the two lions beside her. Instantaneously it begins to rain, dark showers, and the animals in the jungle make their tributes, from the elephants trumpeting, to the eagles flying across the sky and last but not least the lions roar. The n’anga hands the baby to its mother, “Ipa mwana uyu mukaka, kuti agokura.” (Give the baby milk so that she will grow) the mother accepts the baby in half awe, half joy and as just like that the atmosphere becomes calm and like the wind the witch doctor disappears without a trace.
The baby’s mother looks down and for the first time after being in labour for almost 12 hours. She smiles. “Mwanasikana uyu anonzani?” What is the baby girl’s name? one of the midwives asks, “Anonzi Charwe” the father who has been deadly silent all this while finally finds, his voice to speak up, “Nyakasikana Charwe” Her name is Nyakasikana Charwe and to that the baby girl chuckles and smiles as if in agreement to the name.
Present Day (1898)
The people come to Charwe expressing their distress about the cruelty of the white settlers, particularly the Commander who is beheading their fellow brothers and sisters. They are also upset about the ‘hut tax’ that they are being forced to pay to people who came in the name of peace and trade. Great emphasis is made on the exploitation of the men on the white men’s field with very little compensation.
Charwe assures the people that she will do something about the matter and assures the people that Nehanda is on their side. She also states that since the white settlers have not been true to their word no gold or precious → → minerals will be found by them in their area. The people chant and ululate in agreement and true to her word the white settlers begin to struggle to find gold. However, they start invading more of the Karanga people’s land causing more grief. Children have ripped apart from their mothers to be forced to work in the fields, girls are forced to be housemaids and strong men are forced to relocate to ‘town’ where they can start building the colonial settlements. It becomes a pitying sight as more and more people begin to get oppressed.
One day the people in large crowds gather around Charwe’s compound and in different groups, they express their grievances and how their ancestors have abandoned them. Charwe listens to the people. She sends them away and in great distress goes into the mountain with a calf. She starts singing “Chaminuka ndimambo” and starts dancing. Suddenly she gets possessed by the Nehanda Spirit, and behold, lions begin to roar in the forest.
She comes down the mountain with lions walking beside her and to that people start chanting her name, “Nehanda! Nyakasikana!” The next day messengers are sent to go and call Father Richardz the Catholic Priest so they can have an altercation about how her people are being mistreated and that was not the agreement that they had when they started to settle in the land. The priest assures her that they do come in peace and hope that one day her people will let go of their primitive ways and repent to the truth. He tries to touch her but she is possessed by the spirit and she pushes him back. He tries to push her back but is astonished at the level of strength she has for a woman who is almost 60. What leaves him in great awe are the lions that suddenly appear some sitting at her feet and the rest surrounding the compound., “Father Richardz, tell your people to choose and to choose their enemies wisely”. Charwe says in a half chilled, half menacing whisper as she tries to get the English accent right. “Not a threat I hope?” he replies trying to be as diplomatic as possible. “We will find out,” she hissfully replies not bothering to hide her distaste. “Now leave our sight,” with that a forceful wind blows on all directions of the room, and sounds of hyenas laughing fill the atmosphere. Father Richardz starts running in fear but he, unfortunately, trips falling on the hard core ground. When he eventually gets the courage to stand up his face goes pale for behold. He is in front of his house with no idea how he got there when he was in Charwe’s compound just moments ago!! With all these factors in mind, he goes to tell the sergeants to be careful of Nehanda as she is like a ‘god’ of the Karangas and has won the respect of people and animals alike.
Alas his warning is taken very lightly as the Captain argues that the Land became theirs the moment the Rudd Concession was signed and the Black monkeys are their slaves for them to do whatever they please. He sends the priest away telling him to concentrate on making fishers of men whilst they produce returns in the name of the Queen.
To call the captain cruel would be an understatement. He is a murderer, a man with ill remorse and his hatred for the people of colour is beyond
appalling. He slaughters the weak, and rapes the young and under his command, his followers are raiding many villages, stealing their cattle and burning
their fields.
Charwe has a secret meeting with Kaguvi, and other influential mediums. Most of them are beside themselves with grief. One of them has just lost 7 of his sons whom he could not honour and give a decent burial. “Vakagurwa musoro ndakatarisa, Charwe” Their heads were cut off whilst I was watching one of them says as uncontrollable angry tears stream down his face. “Vana vakomana, vanomwe vese hakuchina” 7 sons , all of them are no more) he says this more to himself than to the others. “Vanhu ava varoyi vakauya sengirozi!” These people are witches who came dressed like angels Kaguvi belligerently says speaking up for the first time since the meeting started. They continue to discuss for what seems like hours whilst Charwe contemplates with herself on how to deal with this messy situation that they have found themselves in as a tribe. “Varume…..” Men she suddenly says in a sultry voice, “Handei Handei kuhondo.” Let us go…let us go to war. The room becomes dead silent as people cannot tell whether she is joking or not., “Mudzimu unesu, Chaminuka anesu…. Handei kuhondo!!” The ancestors are with us, Chaminuka is with us, let’s go to war) She says it more loudly and clearly. “Ivhu nderedu, zvirimuivhu ndezvedu, vana vakagurwa musoro ndevedu Handei tinorwira ropa rateuka riri kuchema ririmuvhu, Varume Hondo yeChimurenga yatotanga izvozvi!!!” (The soil is ours, what is in the soil is ours, the children who had their heads cut off are ours. Gentlemen the war of Chimurenga has just begun!!) With that, the men start chanting her name and leave in order to prepare for the war.
In the days that follow, the message is spread about fighting the colonialists. Spears, axes, and shields are made, soldiers are strengthened with encouraging war verses and War breaks out throughout the country. The Capitan Commissioner-General Pollard managed to be captured by the soldiers → → and he is brought to Charwe and the other leaders. He cannot believe his eyes when he sees a woman as the leader. To make matters worse she is surrounded by lions. “Pollard.” she calmly says in a way that gives the Captain chills for the first time in 20 years., “Ho Hoodoo, hhhoow dooo uuu kno.. Know my name,” he can’t speak properly and can hardly believe that he is afraid., “you fool! Chaminuka owns you, he owns me, of course I know your name.” He looks at her in the eyes and between chattering teeth he angrily spits and hisses, “you negro! I don’t follow any negro in front of me let alone a negro god!!”
“And yet you are at a negro’s mercy! You animals, you evil, animals!” she yells charging at him and giving him a slap that makes his nose start bleeding. “I have heard Father Richardz talk about salvation, Pollard today YOU meet your salvation” with that she turns away, “No, wait” but his cries are in vain, he is set on fire and he lets out an ear-splitting scream before he breathes his last. The people throw a big celebration, thinking that they have killed the ring leader.
On days that follow however white soldiers come and kill people, they burn down village huts, steal the people’s cattle and rape the women 10 fold than in the days when Pollard was still alive. Charwe’s gifts which are a blessing turn into a curse those few days as her compound is raided. The soldier aims to shoot her but her son steps in front just in time and the bullet goes through his head. “MUTAPA!!!” she cries and in doing so violent winds begin to blow causing great confusion. Her screeching upsets the horses that the soldiers will be on causing them to fall. They try to shoot her but the dust particles get into their eyes and when one of them eventually gets a grip Charwe would have vanished into thin air. The soldiers are left in awe temporarily but that region goes under a serious siege and they tell the people that if they want their land back then Nehanda must turn herself in.
Charwe realises that she will be at the lion’s den, along with Kaguvi and all the other mediums. For a few days, she grieves the loss of her son, but after having many visions of her people suffering she decides to turn herself in. The other mediums ridicule her and some refuse to leave the lion’s den
telling her that going against the spirit’s orders will mean that they will lose their powers. “Varume, handina kusarudza kutonga, ndikokwakandisarudza Ndakudzosera chitanda kunevakandipa.” Gentlemen I did not choose to be a ruler, it chose me, I am now returning this role to the one who gave it to me. with that she walks away to head back to the village. The other mediums begrudgingly follow her one by one. Charwe says her farewell to the people and assures them that she will come back. As she walks to the police station, the colour of her eyes turn into that of a lion’s.
The policeman on duty is surprised to see this strange black woman, with hellish eyes looking at him like she can pierce his soul., “No black”. He cannot finish as he suddenly finds it difficult to breathe, “Nyakasikana Charwe I have come.” she says walking away from him as she sits in the cold jail cell herself. The police officer fearfully locks the door and makes it a point to avoid this strange woman until she is handed over to the authorities.
There are two magistrates assigned to handle the Nehanda case and it becomes the talk of the town. Father Richardz is approached in an attempt to convince all the other mediums to change their unorthodox practices and become Christians. That is the only way they can be convicted and hung to death. They tell him to start with Nyakasikana as she is the woman and they are easily frightened. Alas! They are in for a shock when they find Nyakasikana surrounded by lions, in her jail cell. “Hoooowww, iiiisssss ittttt p-ooo-s—ibble, that llliiiooooonnnns” The prison guard does not finish his statement as the beast charges right at him, his mate quickly closes the door before a fatal attack can happen. “You imbeciles!” they hear her strong, bold voice through the door. “I told you Chaminuka is King and Nehanda the dauntless, fearless Queen!” she says no more and the guards suggest that Father Richardz starts with the male prisoners first. The priest simply chuckles, “I told you that she is a god.” He says as he heads to the other treacherous dungeons where the other influential leaders are. It surprises him that the chiefs cannot speak English as well as Nyakasikana even though she herself has never been taught their language. He makes it a point to research further on cultural practices and has an eerie feeling just thinking that the “spirits” have somehow helped her to be so
dynamic in a pre- civilised society.
He does not have a hard time converting Kaguvi and his inmates. He
simply tells them they will be released one of the few Karanga words → → that he has managed to learn since he started sharing the gospel in this part of the region. Kaguvi solemnly agrees with the hopes that he will be reunited with his people again and be able to strategize for another war. He already has visions and ideas on how they will be able to take down the colonialists and be able to restore the empire the way it used to be. “ Zita ndi-Good thief”, (your name is now Good Thief) the Father says in broken Karanga and he just nods his head. He hopes that he will be able to see Charwe again because she has been very instrumental in this war. The prison door gets opened and he sees rays of the sun-rise. “Rusununguko” (Freedom) he thinks as the soldiers reach for his chains but to his dismay, they are only tightened. He is whipped and he cries in agony. Two fat soldiers eventually lift him up when they are sure that he is half-dead and he is forced to walk towards his death….the hanging tree.
That is what happens to every one of them except for Nehanda. She refuses to change her name and any soldier who tries to attack her is either struck by her or by a lion. The magistrates become impatient and decide that they will have her hung whether she converts to Christianity or not. They tell the Father to warn her that her little stunt will only bring more harm to her people, than good. Father Richards eventually agrees to see her, even though he is terrified of her the most. To his great astonishment, he finds her cell empty with just her. “Where are your friends today?” He asks her, but it is as good as talking to himself as she does not reply. “Your people run a huge risk if you….” Before he can even finish she begins to scream and howl, when he looks into her eyes, he does not see a meek little woman but a fierce lion. He runs outside and yells, “Go and bind her now whilst she is vulnerable”.
Following his command, the soldiers run in to tie her this time ten all at once.
They succeed in tying her but it is after a grave struggle.
They drag her to the tree where she will be hung and she eventually understands the gravity of her fate. “Mapfupa angu!” (My Bones), “Mapfupa Angu!” (My Bones) she says again as the rope is being tied around her neck, “achamuka muhondo yeChimurenga ichatevera” will rise again in the war of Chimurenga that is to come She is hung on the tree and she continues lamenting, “Tichakunda! Tichatonga..” We will win, we will rule she says before her eyes take back their human form and she breathes her last.
Lions begin to fiercely roar for five minutes and the soldiers are afraid to bring her body to the ground. However, it becomes silent once again.
“Phillip, I think we just killed somebody great.” Whispers one of the soldiers as he eyes her lifeless corpse, “She refused to change her name, She is somebody great, She will be remembered in history for this.” Phillip replies simply.
And right they are for Nyakasikana Charwe, famously known as our very own Mbuya Nehanda, will not only be remembered for her prophecy, bravery, boldness, tenacity and ambition. She will also be remembered as the woman who refused to change her name!
Long Live Nehanda.
