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The purpose of this site is to try and get the world to start dealing with the interaction between culture and success in a mature and intelligent manner. Poll: Do you believe culture influences success? Yes 69.01% No 19.5% Uncertain 11.4% - Newest Articles - Per capita income figures for the countries and regions of the world. While rarely read this is Gandhi's most important written work. The traditional explanation for the noticeable differences in income across cultures was to say that they differed in their level of civilization. - Categories - - All Articles - Per capita income figures for the countries and regions of the world. While rarely read this is Gandhi's most important written work. The traditional explanation for the noticeable differences in income across cultures was to say that they differed in their level of civilization. This 1920 work by Roger Babson is a classic with in its genre. It promotes the traditional, pre-1960s explanation for the connection between success and culture. Current events in Zimbabwe are giving us an unprecedented opportunity to measure and judge the effect of white settlement and colonization in Africa. Average US Incomes by Race, Ethnicity and Religion. Max Weber's claim that Protestantism is more conducive to success than Catholicism and that Calvinism is in particular more successful is widely repeated and rarely examined. We need to recognize that culture is the personality of a group or race and we must see culture and having seen it, make it a work of art. The moral justification for welfare is supposed to be that we are temporarily helping out our fellow man through a rough stretch of road or helping the disabled permanently. If it is to become a system for continually transferring wealth from one group to another the people behind this change owe us an explanation. The great taboo of our age is not speaking about race, but speaking about culture. Bourgeoisie is more than just a term of abuse used by the Left, it refers to a real people who led real lives. Selections from the Federal Outlook Selections from a 1960's Rhodesian newspaper. How Africa Underdeveloped Africa Africa is the poorest place in the world. Why? Will Famine Come to Zimbabwe? The end of commercial farming in Zimbabwe could plunge the country into famine. The Tragedy of the Zimbabwe Commons Communally owned property always has and always will suffer from the 'tragedy of the commons' problem. Band Aid Africa recieves $15 billion a year in aid. Is it helping? |
The Chiota Dynasty
by Michael Gelfand and Mrs Joan Henry
The Chiota Tribal Trust land is situated in the Marandellas district and is about 66 000 hectares in extent. On its boundaries are the Nyarusheshe River, Waddilove, the Umfuli River, Muda purchase land and the Nyatsime River. According to legend, the name Chiota derives from the time when Tunha and his relatives were hunting. They found a certain type of yam called hota which they began to eat. A group of young girls arrived and asked
Murikudyei?" (What are you eating?) Tunha replied, "Tirikudya hota" (We are eating hota). From then on Tunha and his people were known as Chiota (hotaeaters).
History of the Chieftainship
The first chief was called Tunha and was a son of Chiwazwe of Manyika,
the brother of Mutasa (See table). Chiwazwe originally entered Chiota when on an elephant hunt and settled down in this part, where Tunha was born. Chiwazwe married two women from Nyandoro, the first wife being Nhondo and the second Baya. Nhondo gave birth to a son, Chakabvapasi, a few hours before Baya gave birth to Tunha. Chiwazwe was informed of Tunha's birth first and he was therefore accorded the birthright over Chakabvapasi.
Tunha's first son was Bindu and the second Mudzudzu. Bindu succeeded his father as chief and after Bindu's death, Mudzudzu followed as chief. When Mudzudzu died, his son, Chishambwe, succeeded him. A son of the Bindu family was not chosen as chief because he had gone to stay with the Varozwi.
When Chishambwe died the chieftainship passed on to his brother, Zimheni. After Zimheni's death, Manjanga, who was a son of Bindu, became chief. Manjanga's wife was Zumondo, originally the wife of another of Bindu's sons, Gwiranenyika. Manjanga was killed by a lion and it was alleged that the lion was sent by Chidende of the Mudzudzu family. Chidende was given a trial by ordeal (muteyo) but he vomited and so was declared innocent. Later, Chidende, due to this false accusation, refused to become she (chief) and also to inherit Zumondo.
The sons of Bindu were afraid of becoming chief as they had accused Chidende of killing Manjanga. Chipitiri, son of Munhumunwe, one of the non who came to hunt with Chiwazwe, became chief in a caretaker capacity. He did not belong to the imbahuru (royal family). Chidende and his relative, Chihunga, killed Chipitiri as he should not have been ishe (chief).
After this Manjanga's son, Nzwere, succeeded. When Nzwere died, Pasipamire, the great grandson of Bindu, was installed as chief. Savanhu, son of Nzwere, followed Pasipamire. He was also of the Bindu family as in Mudzudzu's family there were two sons before Bindu's family.
With Savanhu's death in 1927, Zihohwa, the great grandson of Chaka bvapasi, became chief. Until now the sons of the second wife, Baya, had succeeded to the chieftainship, but Zihohwa was of the first wife's family. This change in selection took place because Zihohwa had complained that in their family they had had no turn of becoming chief and the Rev. John White of Waddilove approached the Native Commissioner, F. Posselt.
When Zihohwa died, Chakanetsa, son of Pasipamire, of the Bindu family, became chief in 1946. He died in 1952 and was followed by Mutero after a delay of some four years.
In 1927 when Savanhu (of the Bindu family) died, Mutero was nearly made chief. His mother's brother and Mazhazha (Chief Nyandoro, Mutero's uncle) stopped the appointment as it was thought that Mutero was too young, and Zihohwa was appointed instead.
When the selection of the new chief was being made after Chaka netsa's death, Mutero himself went to see the Native Commissioner. Ha presented his case, pointing out that Bindu's family had had more than fair share of chiefs and that he was anxious to become chief as this office was due to fall to the family of Mudzudzu. He had been superseded by Zihohwa and Chakanetsa.
Mutero received a letter from the Native Commissioner at a time when he was still running his store at Wedza. The Native Commissioner sub sequently told him that the Government wished him to be the ishe (chief of Chiota. When Mutero left the Native Commissioner he asked him t let him know the date on which he was to be installed so that he could brew beer for the people. The date fixed was the 4th October, 1956. In all, it took about four years from the time of the death of Chakanetsa until Mutero was officially installed as chief. There had been much quarrelling among rival claimants. Mutero had brought a mombe (ox) to the late chief, village on his death, but there were also others who had done likewise to demonstrate their claims, and who were from both the Bindu and Mudzudzu families. There were also claimants who had not brought a mombe.
Bindu and Mudzudzu are the two royal families (dzimbahuru) in the Chiota area from whom a chief is chosen. Men of the Bindu family have had more turns than those of the Mudzudzu family, having had five turns before the Mudzudzu family succeeded to the chieftainship. Their names were Bindu, Manjanga, Nzwere, Pasipamire and Chakanetsa. The reason for this is that the family is a much larger one than that of Mudzudzu.
The Selection and Installation of the Chief
The muzukuru (nephew) used to install the chief but this function has now been taken over by the Administration. The big muzukuru was called Marowa. His mother was Rambe, a sister of Mudzudzu, the younger brother of Bindu. Rambe married a man called Marowa from Chiwero and his mutupochidao (totem) was Shava Mwendamberi. The name of the main muzukuru (nephew) is always Marowa, and when there is no rain, Chiota the chief gives him a mombe which is killed at the grave of Nyemba, the sister of Chiwazwe. (When Chiwazwe went hunting he left his sister. Nyemba, at a village, the chief at the time being Gunguho. This man raped Nyemba and when Chlwazwe returned and heard what had happened, he killed Gunguho with the help of Nyandoro's people).
The people of Chiota first go to the grave of Chiwazwe as he is the founder or owner (muridzi wenyika) of the land, but he is not the mhondoro (tribal spirit). This spirit actually comes from the son, Tunha. Today there is no svikjro (medium) for Tunha, although it is expected that a medium may be found at any time.
When the chief of Chiota dies, Marowa goes to the svikiro with those who want to be chief, to learn what the possessed person has to declare. In Chiota there are, however, a number who will claim the chieftainship and bring a mombe to mourn the ishe's death. In the days before the coming of the white man fighting took place between clans and also between the two families of Bindu and Mudzudzu over the chieftainship. It was not uncommon for an imba (house) to call in the aid of another chief outside Chiota, such as Nyandora, to help fight the rival imba which staked a claim to the chieftainship.
The big muzukuru (nephew) does not recommend or put forward the name of the new chief. His main duty is to pray at the grave (guva) of Nyemba, the woman who was raped and to honour her spirit. The duty of putting toward and accepting the name of the new chief rests in the hands of the District Commissioner (formerly Native Commissioner). Before this, the muzukuru would consult with Tunha through the svikiro (tribal medium) about the chieftobe. Chief Mutero referred to the Native Commissioner as the svikiro in function. He also mentioned in passing, an instance where Chingwanangwana who was selected by the svikiro (medium) to be chief, was not accepted by the Native Commissioner and Marufu was appointed instead. However, with Mutero, there has been no svikiro for a long time in his chieftainship (Nyoka). Chingwaro was the svikiro at the time of Chief Zihohwa and although he had said before he died that Mutero should follow, the Administrator, on the advice of the Rev. John White, appointed Chakanetsa.
The day after the death of a chief, his brothers and sons report to the District Commissioner, who arranges with them who is to be the acting chief until a successor is appointed. In Chiota messengers are sent to the machinda (councillors) and masadunhu (subchiefs) informing them of the death of their chief. The masadunhu are men of good reputation who could be given the charge of an area or province. The sadunhu (head man or ward head) is appointed by the chief and can be of the same mutupo (totem) as the clan, or he might have come to settle from outside the nyika (chiefdom). The sadunhu can hold a dare (tribal court) at which certain civil cases could be heard by him. He continues in his appointment till death, retaining his post when a chief dies and serving under the new chief when appointed.
It has been suggested that Chiwazwe was the first chief, but according to the present chief of Chiota, Mutero himself, Chiwazwe was simply a hunter and his son, Tunha, was installed as the first chief. It has also been said that Chikudza and Gwiranenyika, sons of Bidu, were chiefs, but they are not mentioned as such in the geneology given by Mutero.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to Chief Chiota and Mr. P. Nyandora for the help given in producing this paper.
