Why Mbuya Nehanda is still displayed in a library

Those who are Christians they do understand the importance of repatriating bones of the loved ones. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." Exodus 13:15 so Mbuya Nehanda said mapfupa angu achamuka which generation must take these remains back to Zimbabwe if it is not this one.

The Bible shares a detail about the Israelites made their great departure of Egypt that we might see as minor - that Moses brought the bones of Joseph along with them. In Genesis it is recorded that Joseph knew that God would take his family out of Egypt and asked to be taken with them: Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob." Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here." So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Gen. 50:24-26 To us it might seem minor, but this detail adds a remarkable amount of continuity and closure to the greater story of Joseph and the family of Israel in Egypt. Joseph was the first of the family to go down into Egypt, and he was exiled there by his own brothers' hatred. Now, just his own family sent him down there, his family would need to carry him back out again. Or another way of looking at it is that Joseph had brought his whole family down to Egypt to rescue them from famine, and once again he would be with them when God rescued them from oppression. In his early years,

Mbuya Nehanda was the first woman to be charged of treason. She was the first woman to be hanged for political reasons. Mbuya Nehanda cried out and said my bones will rise again. This statement was the charge given to the freedom fighters hundred years later. During the second Chimurenga war mbuya Nehanda was the guiding spirit and every group of the fighters will sing songs of praising Nehanda. There was a song which became a pushing son. " Tinofa tichienda ku Zimbabwe kudzamara tinosvika kuna Zambezi kudzamara tinosvika ku Zimbabwe. Nehanda komborera vari muZimbabwe neHanda komborera varimumapako ne Hands komborera varimuma pako." Nehanda had dreamed of her bone being a ruler, but this was the reason her bones rose and one would believe that her bones can never experience rest until they are laid to rest. Nehanda lies displayed in a museum and those who benefitted from her sacrifice dine and wine in the corridors of power. Her risen bones hated hated her so much and abandoning her into bondage, displayed in a museum as a sign of defeat. Humiliated embarrassed and the whole country stripped nak*d displayed in a museum of the people who killed her. Shame on is Zimbabweans. We need another lesson in our history but the ambassador must be the first to be educated in this area. The silence those in power exhibit is too loud. We must never wonder why Zimbabwe is slipping down the economy ladder. We have lost our pride we have lost our humanity. We do not feel like we have a part of Nehanda on us. Again shame on us.

Repatriating the remains of Nehanda Kaguvi and Mhofu Chiwashira Nyathi Chingaira and many others will be restoring our pride. Now we can not call our selves Zimbabweans. We must bury our heads in the send with shame. I have no good words for the ministry of foreign affairs who are in charge of embassies. Surely how can ministers trip each other to address seminars in the UK but fail to lift a finger for Nehanda Nyakasina. The late Vice President Muzenda recited a very touching poem on Nehanda. Where ate those patriots who shed blood for the nation. Is it a coincidence that even the tree Nehanda was hanged on was chopped down by our own people after surviving the colonialists.

The colonialists have kept the skulls of Nehanda as a sign of their supremacy. Those who are in power today because of Nehanda are silent. Who will hear the soft plea of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana. She is crying please take my skull home. How can you dream of prosperity when you lack the audacity to repatriate your heroes remains. Are you with the people.

Those who think that it is demonic to repatriate Nehanda please think again. Israel is the most blessed country on earth. They remembered where they came from. Why Zimbabwe why.

 In spite of years of prison and dashed hopes in her own dreams, in faith she interpreted the visions, and his accurate interpretation was why zimbabwe is free. At the end of her life, she had one last "dream" - that God would bring her whole family out of Bondage and into the land he ultimately promised, and God fulfilled that one too. So Nehanda became a symbol of freedom she became a symbol of fighting courage and determination.

In a sense, Nehanda was taken into bondage in her death that was the very beginning of the captivity of the children of Zimbabwe. because for the next hundred years, one of their family was not free to be buried in the land God gave them. Joseph was allowed to bury his father when God did come to rescue Israel and they took even Joseph's bones, it showed that not one one person who lived during Nehandas time is still there today.

Zimbabwe must stand up to be counted. We cannot allow our heroes to be displayed in a museum somewhere.

Vazet2000@yahoo.co. Uk