PETITION TO PROTECT ZIMBABWE’S SACRED NHARIRA HERITAGE SITE

PETITION TO PROTECT ZIMBABWE’S SACRED NHARIRA
HERITAGE SITE

25 February 2025

To:
- Ministry of Local Government and Public Works
- Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage
- National Heritage Commission
- Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development
- Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet
- Mashonaland West Province
- District Administrator
- Mashonaland West Chiefs Council (cc: Chief Nyamweda)
- Zvimba East Constituency (cc: Hon Decide Kudakwashe Manhanzva)

Subject: Urgent Action to Halt the Desecration of Zimbabwe’s Sacred Sites- (Nharira Hills)

A Nation That Forgets Its Past Has No Future
We, the undersigned, descendants of the Nyamweda Chieftainship and cultural custodians of Zimbabwe’s sacred heritage, urgently call upon the government and
relevant authorities to take immediate action to protect Nharira Hills and other sacred ancestral sites from destruction.

For centuries, Nharira Hills has been:
- A sacred monument
- Home to the burial sites of our ancestors
- A spiritual sanctuary for the Nyamweda dynasty
- A cornerstone of our national heritage
This land is not just soil and rock—it is:
- The foundation of our cultural identity
- The resting place of our forebears
- A place of deep ancestral wisdom

Yet today, that heritage is under grave threat.
We have witnessed with great sorrow and outrage the reckless granite mining operations that have:

 -Invaded Nharira Hills
- Disturbed the final resting places of our forefathers
- Desecrated ancient graves
- Scattered the sacred remains of those who built the legacy of this land Blatant Violation of Our Ancestral Traditions

In Shona culture, when a person is laid to rest, both their paternal and maternal families carefully choose their resting place and perform sacred rituals to honor their spirit and ensure a smooth transition to the spiritual realm.

- How, then, can we be expected to remove the desecrated remains of our ancestors?
- Who among us can claim to be their parent or relative and move them without inviting misfortune?
- Who will bear the wrath of the disturbed spirits, whose journey was already completed, but who are now being ripped from their rightful resting place?
-Where Is Our National Consciousness

We ask:

- Would we stand by if the National Heroes’ Acre were to be desecrated?
- Would we be silent if the graves of our revered liberators were blasted away inthe name of 'development'?

Our Demands:

-Protect Our Heritage Before It’s Too Late

-We call upon the government to immediately halt all destructive mining activities at Nharira Hills and other sacreds sites such as Ziware raMuchembere, where a revered rainmaking priestess wasa lid to rest.

- Legally recognize Nharira Hills as a permanently protected national heritage site, ensuring its preservation for future generations.

- Ensure a dignified reburial for the disturbed remains of our ancestors, with full traditional rites and the participation of spiritual and cultural leaders.

- Engage traditional leaders, spirit mediums, and heritage experts in all future decisions concerning sacred sites to prevent further desecration.

- Hold accountable those responsible for the destruction and ensure that no further violations of our ancestral lands occur.

A Warning Against Silence: The Environmental Consequences

Beyond the spiritual desecration, we are also witnessing the severe environmental consequences of this reckless destruction.
-The Hunyani River and Lake Chivero, which supply water   to Harare and surrounding areas, are already under strain. -The continued blasting, deforestation, and erosion
caused by mining activities are further polluting and destabilizing our water sources, leading to:Increased water shortages for Zimbabwean citizens.

- Irreversible destruction of aquatic life in Lake Chivero.
- Depletion of the natural ecosystem that protects our climate balance.

A Nation That Disrespects Its Ancestors Invites Misfortune

We have already seen the signs: rivers drying up, forests fading, and the delicate balance of our environment being disturbed.These sacred places have been the spiritual guardians of our land, when we violate them, we invite misfortune upon ourselves.

Let Us Stand Together
Let this petition be a call to action, not just a plea, but a demand for justice. We demand
that Nharira Hills and all sacred sites be protected. We demand that our ancestors rest
in peace. We demand that Zimbabwe upholds its spiritual and cultural legacy.

Yemurayi Kawanzaruwa Phone: 0733636222    Contact the author of the petition