Chiefs, church join forces in rain-making ceremony

Thousands of people converged at Chief Gwesela's homestead in Zhombe over the weekend for the annual Mutorera rain-making ceremony, a traditional ritual performed to invoke rains ahead of the farming season.

The colourful event, marked by song, dance and prayer, brought together traditional leaders and church representatives in a show of unity, reaffirming the spiritual significance of the ceremony.

Chief Gwesela explained that the ritual was guided by ancestral instruction. "I had visits from four different sangomas who instructed that we hold such a ceremony. This is what we used to do back then. We want the rains to come peacefully. Sometimes we tend to lose lives through violent rains. What we have done is meant to appease the spirits so that we enjoy the upcoming season," he said.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube, underscored the importance of such traditions in preserving cultural norms and strengthening community governance. "Chiefs are not merely custodians of culture and tradition; they are integral to the socio-economic architecture of our society, serving as mediators, advocates for their people's needs and aspirations, and development practitioners," he noted.

Held annually across many parts of Zimbabwe, the Mutorera ceremony reflects the enduring belief in ancestral guidance and the interconnectedness between people, nature and spiritual heritage as the nation prepares for the summer cropping season.