THE LEGEND OF THE NJELELE SHRINE

Njelele is a sacred shrine in Matopo Hills . It's the abode of the deity MWALI also known as Mwari, Mlimo, Ndzimu - The Almighty God

It's known as a Rain-Making Shrine but it's more than that...

MEANING: Njelele is a Kalanga name for a particular Rain Bird.
Could also been derived from the name of the founding priest NJENJEMA

DEITY: MWALI

FOUNDER: Njenjema

LOCATION: Matopo Hills

BELIEVERS: Mostly Kalangas

CUSTODIANS: The Ncube clan

SPIRIT ANIMAL: Baboons/Monkeys

THE VOICE

Mwali used to speak directly to Mankind

His voice came from a cave within the Hill, when invoked by the 'priests'

Kuthwa, it sounded like it was coming from heaven and has been described as gentle, bold, reassuring and multilingual

WHERE DID IT GO? ~Explained Later

CEREMONIES

First harvest
Rainmaking
Fertility
Blessing seeds before planting
Cleansing
Spiritual fulfilment

Etcetera

HIERARCHY

NTUNGAMILI - High priest. Talked to Mwali. If Mwali relocated without telling anyone, Batungamili would find him

BATUMWA - Messengers - take messages to the chiefs (People)

WOSANA - Rain & praise dancers chosen by Mwali

MALOMBWE - Rain dancers chosen by Batungamili

CUSTODIANS & HIGH PRIESTS

Of the Ncube clan because their totem animal is a Baboon/ Monkey

live on hills above the ground so they can see ‘far’ so Ncubes see far (into the future)

Only high priests were allowed into the cave. Like a Holy of Holies type of situation

MWALI’S COMMANDMENTS

1. Don’t WORSHIP ancestors (other gods besides Me?)

2. Keep Mwali’s day of rest holy Wednesday, Thursday or Friday depending on village. (Sabbath?)

3. Don’t commit adultery

4. Don’t set other people’s huts on fire

5. Share food with your relatives

6. Thieves and witches are not allowed in Njelele. If spotted, kindly stone to death!

7. No sexual activity near the mountain or on the pilgrimage

8. Don’t be jealous

9. No fighting, blood shedding, quarrels etc especially on holy ground

10. Respect your neighbours

THOU SHALL NOT:

1. Eat first harvest before Mwali’s go ahead - Ceremony first

2. Eat egg laying locusts near the hill

3. Eat baboons and monkeys (Sacred animals)

4. Leave Njelele without a proper goodbye or else they won’t reach home

DO NOT:

5. Take watermelon seeds from Njelele after a festival or you will walk on the same spot for days

6. Cut down trees around the shrine or death will locate you

7. Kill animals around the area

8. Wear shoes, anything metallic or red (Colour of death/war/blood)

PUNISHMENTS
No rain if people misbehaved too much!

Diseases, pestilences, deaths, drought, plagues - Ask Pharaoh

'Blindness' - See what happened to the first Ndebele people? Read on

WANT FORGIVENESS?

Brew beer, sacrifice a black ox/black goat, dance, say you are sorry.

BELIEFS/MYTHS

1. Mwali is the Christian God so he did a similar Old Testament to New Testament transition where He didn’t interact directly with humans anymore because people were wilding too much

2. Kalangas are Mwali’s chosen people - Israelites chosen nation vibes

3. Njelele is the mountain where God spoke to Moses

4. Wosanas can walk through fire and sleep on burning coals and still remain unburnt - Daenerys vibes

5. You can find honey all over the sacred cave walls. Eat as much as you like but strictly no take aways!

PILGRIMAGE

People trekked to Njelele on foot around August to ask for rain amongst other things.

Some still do.

RAIN MAKING RITUAL

Dresscode: All Black

Bring: Drums & Whistles

Only virgins and post-menopause women can partake in the deep stuff

Rainmakers sing and dance until Mwali is pleased

Dance: Roll on the ground. Speak in tongues. Praise. Clap hands. Ask and it shall be given

The Voice of Mwali would then respond for all to hear. Giving instructions and approvals etc

RAINMAKING DANCE

Dance style: Hwoso - Male dancers

Three drums used
1. Big- Tjamabhika (What you have cooked)
2. Medium - Shangana neshumba (meet the lion)
3. Small - Dukumo/Mandobo

VISITING HOURS

August - September Rain asking season
Last Moon (Elimnyama) - No visitors allowed, only Wosana and priests

WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU GET THERE

Say: “Thobela Mbedzi nkulu Dziba levula”

Thobela - Respected one
Mbedzi - Lord
Dziba levula - Pool of water

AmaNDEBELE

The Ndebele came to Kalanga Land in violence. They stole, killed and destroyed

Kalangas didn’t fight back. They forgave them for the Ndebeles knew not what they were doing

Kalangas went and told Mwali what the Ndebeles were doing

Mwali said he will deal with them

Ndebeles went ‘blind’. They couldn’t see the Kalangas but the Kalangas could see them

They saw livestock as rocks and crops as grass. They couldn’t believe it

Mzilikazi came 2 years later and was pissed by what his people had done. Heads rolled - literally (Long story)

The VOICE has been silent since 1914 (Some claims of 1974)

Myths
1. A rogue soldier stole the voice

2. People disrespected Njelele so much Mwali got fed up and left

3. White people bombed the rock to see the ‘Voice’ and it angered him

4. Old Testament period was over

PRESENT DAY

Shrines occupied by opportunists wanting money

Someone broke in, stole gold & broke claypots

The hill was bombed day before elections in 1980

You can’t just rock up like kuse Shebeen! You need to follow the rules, observe dresscode and be led by the right people

DISCLAIMER: I started the narration from Njelele.

Mwali is said to have existed in other places before that.

It was like the Ark of the Covenant in the Bible, you know? Moving with the Tabernacle?

Also, Njenjema wasn’t the first ever priest. He was the first at Njelele

KALANGA PEOPLE
A peaceful tribe, protected by Mwali. They won many battles without fighting them

Rainfall fell, the harvest was plenty and drums were loud. It was all holy, sacred and beautiful. Then one day the Voice of Mwali went silent and all hell broke loose

THE END