PRIDE IN MY ROOTS

Many of those who are African have the iniquity of idolatry, sorcery and many other evil things in their ancestral lineage. As a result, the focus tends to be on the negative to the neglect of the positive traits of our genealogy which are for our good and favour! David took time to find out his genealogy and used that as an advantage to save his parents from Saul in 1 Samuel 22:3 “And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, Let my father [of Moabite descent] and my mother, I pray you, come out [of Judah] and be with you till I know what God will do for me.” David’s ancestor Boaz had broken the cultural norm and regulations and married Ruth the Moabitess and David grabbed that piece of history to his advantage.



A positive trait I have found out from my lineage and tribe is the aspect of leadership and influence. Like David, I have wisely taken that legacy for myself and taken my place of leadership and influence. The Mhofu (Eland) clan was the first clan to acknowledge and treat daughters on an equal level with their brothers and so Chihera women were included at the family dare (decision making meeting) , problems would emanate when they married into different tribes where women were not on an equal footing and trouble would arise in the marriage. Our clan chief Hwata Chiripanyanga in 1892, played a leadership role in the First Chimurenga war of Southern Rhodesia in June 1896. He worked with Nehanda Nyakasina to organise resistance by the Hwata people against British settlers who had invaded their lands at PaGomba in Mazoe valley. Hwata lost the lives of 100 fighters in guerrilla type battles with British settlers. He surrendered together with Mbuya Nehanda and both were executed in 1898 for their participation in the war.The Hwata people who are my ancestors endured the brunt of the Second Chimurenga, the war of liberation that finally defeated the white rulers of Southern Rhodesia. Many Hwata youths took up arms to participate in the war of liberation between 1973 and 1979 which brought independence from British rule on 18 April 1980.Today if you look at most women in key positions and running successful businesses or in leadership in the church in Zimbabwe are from this Vahera clan of the Mhofu totem. I am from the Chihera clan of the Mhofu totem and proud that God planned and designed that I come from such a clan. ‪#‎proudlyChihera‬