Traditional rain-making ceremony : A shield against drought and misery
ZVISHAVANE – Rujada Mountain adjacent to Chief Masunda’s homestead was the revered venue for the “Mutoro” rain-making ceremony, a yearly tradition held every September. This ancient practice ensures abundant rains and bountiful harvests for the community as the new rain season approaches.
In an exclusive interview with AfroGazette News, Chief Masunda emphasizing the significance of preserving Zimbabwe’s traditional rain-making ceremonies.
“For centuries, our community has sought divine intervention through the ceremony, guided by spirit mediums to seek abundant rains from God for bountiful harvests and protection from harmful thunderstorms that threaten our people and animals.”
Chief Masunda adds, “The Mutoro ceremony is not only to call upon ancestors for rains and good harvests but also to cleanse our community of the bad spirits associated with murder, adultery, theft, robbery and witchcraft which anger God.”
Village Head Kufa notes that many people have lost appreciation for the traditional rain-making ceremony opting for scientific predictions.
“Protect your cultural heritage young ones and do not sacrifice tradition for modernization. Neglecting rain-making ceremony will bring misery and suffering leading to drought, locust invasions and birds that will ravage your crops”
Traditionalist from Chirere, Mongeni Hove emphasize the importance of singing and dancing traditional songs to honor and invoke protective ancestral spirits (Mhondoro).
“Drummers (ngoma) and leg rattle players (magagada) energize the gathering with vibrant rhythms uniting voices in sacred song. This soulful expression establishes a profound link between ancestors and people, inviting ancestral blessings to quench drought-stricken lands with rejuvenating rain”, said Hove.
Preparations for Mutoro begin in July when Mambo consults with Svikiro to initiate preparations. These include collecting inputs such as sorghum or millet for brewing traditional beer and assigning local men to clear remnants of dead animals and cut down trees struck by lightning.
The collected sorghum is handed over to the “Svikiro,” who offers a sample to the ancestors at the sacred hill for a few days. Upon retrieval, the sample is reunited with the main batch then soaked in water in a sack (kuyanika mumera) to initiate germination. The germinated sorghum is subsequently dried and ground into a fine powder, preparing it for traditional beer brewing.
