My Bones Shall Rise: How the Matriarchs of Maungwe Forged a Generational Legacy
The girl children of the Makoni people have always played a vital role, from the days of our great ancestor, Gunguwo, to the current generation. Their influence transcends household chores, acting as peacemakers and troubleshooters. It is heartening to know that these daughters went on to play prominent roles, becoming the glue that held families and communities together.
A Rivalry Born in a Polygamous Home
The story of my grand-aunts, Ziganga Maingeni and Masodzi, begins in the crucible of a polygamous marriage. Their father, Chakadeyi, took a second wife after his first wife, Dambudzo, suffered many stillbirths. The tension between the two women manifested in the names they gave their daughters. The second wife named her first child Maingeni, meaning "why hate me." In response, Dambudzo named her daughter Masodzi, meaning "tears." The names were a public declaration of the private pain and insecurity that defined their household.
Choosing Unity: The Pact That Changed Everything
Usually, daughters take a cue from their mothers in such arrangements. It would have been easy for Maingeni and Masodzi to carry on this animosity. Yet, the saving grace for our family is that as they grew up, they chose to close ranks. They rose above the matrimonial jealousies of their mothers for the greater good of the family, and in doing so, they shaped the future of the Mataranyika bloodline for generations to come.
Like Mbuya Nehanda, who declared "Mapfupa angu achamuka" (my bones will rise), I believe these two heroines of our family made the same bold statement with their actions, because their bones have indeed risen.
The Two Pillars of Survival
After their brother, my grandfather Kurauone, was tragically killed, it was this pact of unity that saved the family. Masodzi took the bold step of taking custody of her brother’s five orphaned children, even though she already had six of her own and limited means. Shortly after, her half-sister, Maingeni (Ziganga), made the strategic offer to take in the eldest boy, twelve-year-old Tongai, and send him to school. This arrangement laid the fertile ground for all of us, the descendants of Kurauone, to not only survive, but thrive.
A Matriarch's Lasting Influence
I was fortunate to have known Tete Ziganga, who passed away in 1969 when I was five. I have vivid memories of her walking with a stoop, aided by her cane, and the immense respect my mother showed her. At five, I couldn’t understand the critical role she had played. It was only through research in my adulthood that I learned it was Tete Ziganga who, through her singular influence, brought the scattered descendants of Mataranyika back together, settling them in Gwangwara village where we all still stay to this day.
One of the thirteen sons of Zendera, Mataranyika, our patriarch, had a number of sons, including Rakafa and Chakadeyi. Over time, the descendants of Rakafa had moved away from Gwangwara to settle in Chimene, approximately 15km away.
Rakafa had built his family with three wives. With his first wife, Lydia, he had two children, Julius and Dorcas. With his second, a girl, Ruth, and with his third, two boys, Amos and Herbert.
Julius Mangezi, Rakafa’s first son, had four children with his wife, Naume Kurira: Matthew Chabarwachii, Stanley Zvavamwe, Benjamin Chakanyuka, and Faina.
Amos, his half-brother, had five children with his wife, Eunice Kambarami: Gibson, George, Patrick, Julius, and Clara.
In the mid-1950s, all the descendants of Mataranyika from his son Rakafa’s bloodline returned to settle in Gwangwara village from their temporary base in Chimene, a direct result of Tete Ziganga’s unifying influence and coordination.
The Legacy That Endures: MAKAMA
The spirit of Tete Ziganga has always been among us. She was a woman with little, if any, formal education, married twice, and a second wife in her second marriage. Yet, she rose like a phoenix to become a true matriarch, a regent who brought three families together: Magosha, Kaisi, and Mataranyika. In her memory, our families have formed a grouping, MAKAMA, to remind us of where we come from and to act as the glue that keeps us together.
I have looked back at how all this played out and realised that these two women—Tete Ziganga and Tete Masodzi—played huge roles in laying the groundwork for the person I am today. Such a heritage must never be lost on our watch. We must build on it.
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