Chief halts dam construction at Kaguvi Shrine

A TRADITIONAL leader has ordered a foreign-owned mining company to stop constructing a dam near the burial shrine of First Chimurenga heroes Sekuru Kaguvi and Chinengundu Mashayamombe, escalating a dispute over the protection of one of Zimbabwe's most revered cultural heritage sites.

The dispute has pitted villagers, war veterans and traditional leaders against GritMine Minerals, which is accused of undertaking works that could threaten a shrine regarded as the spiritual home of the First Chimurenga and a site where rainmaking ceremonies have been conducted for generations.

Chief Chivero, born Cornelius Chengera, directed the company to halt construction following protests from residents of Chivero and Mashayamombe villages, who argue that the project would desecrate the sacred site.

The directive comes after weeks of growing tension between the company and local communities led by former Zanu PF legislator Shadreck Mashayamombe, who has been nominated to become Chief Mashayamombe.

Some villagers have also claimed that sand extraction at the site stopped after miners allegedly encountered a large black mamba. The claim, however, has not been independently verified.

Residents further allege that GritMine Minerals extracted more than 100 truckloads of sand from the area for gold processing.

In a letter written in Shona dated August 1, Chief Chivero said the company had proceeded with the project without obtaining his approval and despite objections from local communities.

"You do not have permission from the village head," the chief wrote in a letter copied to Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo, the Chegutu District Development Coordinator, local legislator Chamu Chiwanza and Ward 7 Councillor David Mutimusakwa.

He described the area as a sacred place of immense historical and cultural importance.

"The place is sacred. Our ancestors were interred there. This is where Kaguvi's grave is," he said.

Chief Chivero added that the site contains sacred pools where traditional rainmaking ceremonies are held.

"This is where Kaguvi's body is and we are waiting for his head to return from England for burial there. This is also the place where the First Chimurenga began," he said.

The heads of Sekuru Kaguvi and Chinengundu Mashayamombe were taken to England after their execution by colonial authorities during the First Chimurenga, and Zimbabwe has been pursuing their repatriation.

War veterans leader Douglas Mahiya on Monday also condemned what he described as the desecration of heritage sites, saying places of national historical and spiritual significance must be protected.

Two weeks ago, villagers from Mhondoro-Mubaira appealed to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa to intervene by stopping or redesigning the project, arguing that it threatened a site of national importance.

The community also alleged that the company illegally extracted gold-bearing sand from the area, claiming more than 100 truckloads had been removed.

Residents said they turned to the First Family after exhausting other avenues, arguing that institutions responsible for safeguarding national monuments had failed to act.

For more than a century, the Kaguvi Shrine has served as a place of worship, spiritual consultation and rainmaking ceremonies, while also symbolising Zimbabwe's resistance to colonial rule during the First Chimurenga.

Mashayamombe said the shrine belongs to the entire nation and must be preserved for future generations.

The government has since launched an investigation into how a private company was permitted to undertake dam construction near the heritage site.

GritMine Minerals had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publication.