VaPfumbi culture shrouded in secrecy

By Mashudu Netsianda

TRADITIONALLY culture describes the many ways in which human beings express themselves for the purposes of uniting with others, forming a group, defining an identity, and even for distinguishing themselves as unique.
However, despite the world moving closer together through increased migration, globalization and technological advancement, some people continue to have a great concern for the preservation of their culture fearing that their cultural values and traditions might be at risk of getting lost among the mix of new and different ideas, particularly in the wake of the global villagisation trend.

Such a group that continues to defy the trend and continues to express its culture by often creating mysterious activities, practices and symbols that apparently distinguish themselves from others is the Chief Matibe clan of the VaPfumbi tribe in Beitbridge District.

Chronicle recently traveled to the area and unravels the mystery behind this group whose rituals are largely shrouded in secrecy.
Lying on a rugged terrain at the foot of the magnificent Malungudzi Mountains about 70km east of Beitbridge town, is the Chief Matibe homestead, the royal home of the VaPfumbi clan. Traditionally, the homestead is regarded as a sacred place among the VaPfumbi whose custom and rituals are a closed guarded affair shrouded in utmost secrecy.

Despite our 70km journey having been largely characterised by uncertainty following reports that VaPfumbi were a secretive lot, particularly when it comes to sharing their culture with other tribes, Lo and behold! It was a different story as the royal family was very cooperation right from the onset.

On arrival at the chief’s homestead, we were instructed to stop outside the courtyard while our escort, Mr Joseph Lungano, conveyed the message of our presence to other members of the royal family including the objective of our visit.

About 15 minutes later, an age-worn woman, smallish in stature with wrinkly dark skin comes to the gate and she crouches in a manner that defines the traditional VaPfumbi way of greeting. She grins and showing a few stumps of teeth before subsequently beckoning us to enter the homestead yard.

Mr Lungani later introduces the old woman to us as Mrs Mariah Matibe, the late Chief Chichewo Matibe’s widow before quickly taking us through the brief history of the clan and the rituals, which they normally conduct when a chief dies.

Chief Matibe died on 10 May and as part of the VaPfumbi culture, the body was conveyed to a sealed rondavel known as pfamo where it is kept for a period of one year before his successor is chosen.

At the rondavel, the body is placed on a wooden raised bed, which is supported by stilts and a round deep basin is then put underneath.

“When the chief dies the body is taken to a rondavel and we place it on a raised wooden bed after which we then completely seal the hut with mud and cow dung. We then create an opening on the tip of roof top, which we call chiludza through which we pour water onto the body and the remains will be collected into the bowl underneath,” said Mr Lungano.

Traditionally strangers are not allowed to be anywhere near the pfamo, but however, we had the privilege to go near the rondavel.

Mr Lungano, who is part of the royal family, but stays at a neighbouring Tshabili village, said they take turns to visit the pfamo to water the remains of the chief. The ritual is conducted every week and it is the aunts who somehow have the powers to determine the days as well as delegating duties to family members.

The ritual is followed until a one year period of mourning elapses after which the chief’s children would then be paraded around the pfamo. One by one they are instructed to touch a specified section of the mud wall of the hut and whoever touches the wall and pushes it to the ground automatically assumes the chieftainship.

“What is however, peculiar about the VaPfumbi clan is that a chief is spiritually anointed by our ancestral spirits unlike in other groups where the chief’s eldest son automatically takes over following the death of his father,” Mr Lungano said.

What is also unique about the Matibe clan is that they pass on the chieftainship through the swallowing of a stone called Ngwedi. The stone is found in the remains of the chief collected in the bowl.

A local historian, Mr Samuel Mulaudzi said the stone was discovered by the clan’s first chief in a crocodile stomach after he had killed the reptile.

“The first chief of the Matibe clan discovered the Ngwedi in a crocodile stomach, which he had killed and then swallowed it and ever since that time they have been passing on the stone from one chief to another throughout generations,” he said.

Once a successor is chosen he or she washes his or her body using the water from the bowl as some form of protection from the evil as well as being a way of acquiring wisdom to rule.

There is also strange drum, which symbolizes the Matibe clan’s ancestral spirits. The magic drum, whose name is Nangwenani, a term derived from their totem, is believed to have outlived at least four generations. The drum is well-respected as it defines the clan’s identity.

Mrs Matibe takes us to the place where it is kept and just a few metres away from the drum we were ordered to remove our shoes as a way of showing respect.

She crouches around the “mysterious drum” and starts uttering praises to the drum as we knelt on the sun kissed ground sitting on our heels with the knees drawn up. My heart flutters and beat like a bird trying to escape from its cage as globules of sweat continuously beaded my brows as I was witnessing such an unusual and rather unique ritual for the first in my life.

She gently touches the membrane of the drum, picks up a stick and beat it. The rhythm vibrated every muscle in her lithe body as she smiled broadly. 

“The drum has outlived four generations and throughout these years it has remained loyal to our family. In fact, it continues to render inestimable support to the family, particularly during difficult times like now when we are still mourning my husband,” Mrs Matibe said.

“We play the drum during special occasions such as the rain making ceremony or when we are mourning the death of a chief. We also play it when it is raining. In fact, it is the vein of the family without which we wouldn’t be what we are today,”

The drum is however, strictly played by members of the Matibe family who are past the child bearing age and they are supposed to be clad in the traditional attire.

“Not everyone plays the drum; it’s only those who are no longer bearing children.”

According to the Pfumbi culture, whenever a chief dies the children including some close family members are supposed to meet every evening at the homestead during which they play music and dance the night away as some form of consoling the chief’s widow.

“This is a daily routine that has to be done until the chief is buried on 10 May next year,” Mrs Matibe said.

The children then leave the homestead the following morning.

The family also meets every September to choose family members who are supposed to travel to the Njelele shrine in Matopo for the annual rainmaking ceremony.

A local historian and renowned author of history books, Mr Phathisa Nyathi traces the VaPfumbi history dating more than 1000 years ago when they first arrived in Zimbabwe from Central Africa.

“My understanding is that the VaPfumbi belong to an older group, which arrived in Zimbabwe much earlier than the Shona and the Venda. They were however, pushed to the peripheral eastern parts of the country in dry land by the incoming stronger Shona group, which is why you find them in the eastern parts of the country,” he said.

The Pfumbi language is a dialect of Shona and Venda, a development, which is largely attributed to their links and common history with the two tribes.

“You will realise that Shona and Venda are related and they have same origins and also share common traditions and they have common cultural heritage such as stone architecture. 

“However, I don’t mean all Venda groups since they are a heterogeneous tribe and that is why there is an element of Venda and Shona within the VaPfumbi as they were neighbours with the two tribes and that is why you also find the VaPfumbi under Chief Maranda area of Mwenezi in Masvingo,” he said.

Mr Nyathi said the Matibe clan settled in the Malungudzi hills in eastern Beitbridge District from which came the rain-making Mbedzi clan.

“The Matibe clan is of the Chidzivahungwe (Ngwenya or Siziba) totem, which is a Shona group and the Mbedzi clan, which is now Venda, from which came the Pfumbi language. They have however, since become part of the Shona society,” he said.

But why is the VaPfumbi culture shrouded in secrecy?

“It’s a way of safeguarding their tradition and I believe every group has a right to bar access to its culture to outsiders and it should be noted that these are the same people who are associated with rain-making,” Mr Nyathi said.

“What distinguishes this group from other clans in Zimbabwe is that you need to swallow a stone, which comes from the stomach of the crocodile, their totem and if you are not eligible you automatically won’t be able to swallow it and precisely that is how they are different from other groups.”

Professor Charles Nthambeleni Netshisaulu, a South African author and lecturer at the University of Venda and Great Zimbabwe University, concurred with Mr Nyathi:

“This group (VaPfumbi) has close links and share traditions and customs with the Venda people wherein chieftainship is passed on through the swallowing of a stone. In South Africa, some Venda groups in Limpopo Province still practice that although the names of the stones vary here and there depending on their totems.”

www.chronicle.co.zw/13/12/10

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