Zimbabwe: Villagers cancel ritual of meeting dead spirits

HARARE, Zimbabwe

The fear of contracting deadly coronavirus or COVID-19 has forced villagers in the southern African country of Zimbabwe to postpone ceremonies to meet their dead family members.

Lameck Ziremwa,79, who lives in Mwenezi complains that the coronavirus has not allowed him to link with his dead family members. “We have not been able to consult our ancestors because fighting the disease has become a priority. Everything is just on hold now,” he told Anadolu Agency on phone.

Ophias Chiyendakure, a villager hailing from Mazetese in Mwenezi, a district in Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe has also shelved plans to conduct the ceremony.

Zimbabweans hold the belief that the ceremony brings back the spirits of their dead family members. It is a traditional ritual associated with customary dance, music, the beating of drums and drinking of home-brewed beer.

Like other parts of the world, the pandemic has affected numerous cultural traditions in the country.

Experts believe that the lockdown enforced to stem the spread of COVID-19 may come to an end by next month, but its effects on social traditions and culture will last long. Zimbabwe is known for a mosaic of cultural traditions, beliefs, and ceremonies.

“People no longer shake hands in greetings, which had always been part of our custom. We suddenly find that norms attached to our cultures are suddenly not advisable,” sociologist Denford Vambire, told Anadolu Agency.

The fear of virus has even affected the traditional weddings as well.

Norman Chiwira, 38, from Seke village, in the south-east of the Zimbabwean capital Harare, is lamenting at the cancellation of a traditional wedding due to the pandemic.
“We were meant to gather at the traditional wedding earlier this month. But all our plans have gone haywire. I am not sure if we will still have a chance to have the wedding because nobody knows when this pandemic will end” Chiwira told Anadolu Agency.

Muslims, Indians also abandon practices
It is not only traditional Zimbabwean festivals that have been affected, but the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in collaboration with the COVID-19 Muslim Taskforce also ordered the closure of mosques, exhorting Muslims to observe prayers at home.

Many Muslims are unsure if life would ever be the same after the lockdown.

President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe, Sheikh Ishmael Duwa argued that preservation of life is one of the higher objectives of Islamic law and as such when a situation arises whereby lives are exposed to harm permission is given to forgo some obligatory Islamic acts.

Indian origin communities living in Zimbabwe, who still believe in joint family systems and have huge families under a single roof have also abandoned various practices due to pandemic.

“Come to think of us Indians who live under one roof with our extended family members; this disease surely is saying no to that cultural practice,” an Indian-Zimbabwean citizen living in Belvedere, a medium-density suburb west of Harare told Anadolu Agency.

No kissing and hugging
For the white communities in Zimbabwe known for their western cultural practices, coronavirus has set itself at odds with most of their practices.

For instance, for them (the white communities), kissing as a form of greetings and showing affection is no more practiced.

“We used to kiss on cheeks, but with coronavirus, that is now frightening,” said Dan Smith, a 51-year old resident of Harare.

Even hugging and embracing, a practice Zimbabwean blacks had begun to adopt, have been laid off by the invisible monster- COVID-19.

Tatenda Chigorimbo, 19, said the fear of contracting a virus is on top of mind when you meet someone. “There is no question of hugging anyone now,” said the teenager.

Shaken by the marauding pandemic, even the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) last month canceled all events across the country.

“The current Corona crisis is hitting hard industries and the creative sector is no exception. In general, the art sector will face more problems of an unprecedented level,” said NACZ executive Director Nicholas Moyo.