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Tendai Rupapa recently in MUTARE
ZIMBABWE has a rich cultural heritage with in-built mechanisms to fight juvenile delinquency, violence, among other social ills.

The culture also has a “Nhanga” concept where young girls are gathered by elders and imparted with knowledge and skills to keep healthy, achieve self-sufficiency and build successful marriages.

Boys too were advised by their uncles, grandfathers and other traditional leaders at a court that was known as “dare” where they were moulded into responsible men. Most problems affecting boys and girls were solved in the dare and nhanga, respectively where elders provided wise counsel.

It is these values which First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is seeking to revive countrywide as part of measures to fight moral decadence that is manifesting in schoolchildren countrywide as a result of the Covid-19-induced lockdown which created idle time for children as schools were closed in March.

Newspapers, radio broadcasts and social media platforms are awash with pictures, audios and videos of young boys and girls performing  despicable acts.

In a recent interface with chiefs and village headmen spouses in Mutare at the weekend, the First Lady advocated a return to the country’s traditional way of life which had mechanisms to impart wisdom across generations and mould youths into responsible citizens.

The interface was turned into a “nhanga” where the First Lady, wives of chiefs and headmen and female chiefs roundly agreed that the country was facing major challenges which needed to be dealt with decisively for the benefit of current and future generations.

Amai Mnangagwa, who is a hands-on person, urged chiefs, their wives headmen and village headmen’s wives to seize the bull by its horns and gather young boys and girls in their areas of jurisdiction for counselling sessions.

An agreement was sealed at the meeting between Amai Mnangagwa and the traditional leaders’ spouses that from the session going forward, the traditional leaders will play active roles to initiate monthly meetings with boys and girls from their communities to cultivate good behavioural practices and restore acceptable norms. So filled with drama and fun was last Saturday’s interactive session that people could be heard clapping hands, laughing and ululating.

Headman Mrs Mary Nyambiya from Maware under Makoni District said she was convinced young people needed counselling as she has fought tooth and nail to ensure they keep their marriages, despite worrying cases of promiscuity.

“I have some women under my jurisdiction whom I pursued after they had abandoned their marriages and children and took them to task. I asked the women why they had left their children. I asked them why did you leave your matrimonial homes?

“One told me she was not being given money for laundry soap, the other one said she was not being given sugar. I said but you also have to work. If you do not work how do you expect to get provisions for the house? I threatened to have them jailed for abandoning children who are silent victims in the matter. I have 37 women whom I sent back to their matrimonial homes,” she said to thunderous applause.

She invited the First Lady to Rusape to see the work she is doing in trying to restore marriages.

Mrs Nyambiya said she was charmed by current developments where there are four women chiefs in her area. The First Lady asked the women to share information on how they overcame challenges.

“We must revive and treasure our traditional way of life as we are following alien cultures. We are here to revive our culture and treasure our old way of life because marriages are falling apart. We encourage communication between children and elders,” she said.

She implored the traditional leaders to use their social position to influence positive change in their communities.

Testimonies from the gathering highlighted some of the important cultural practices that cultivated principles and morals among young girls, which effectively could play a crucial part in their marriages.

During the lively interactive session, Chief Saurombe’s wife said she always ensures her husband is “well-fed and smartly dressed”.

Mai Saurombe said some young women had no time to cook for their husbands, and this naturally caused violence and challenges in their marriages.

“Young women must be taught our traditional way of life, which they have done away with.”

The forum marked the beginning of a nationwide campaign to condemn inappropriate practices among boys and girls.