Njelele is a traditional sacred shrine in Southern Zimbabwe within the Kalanga people. The shrine’s primary purpose was communicating with God. Njelele was where people spoke to God. A voice would be heard respond to people's requests through trusted members of the community. Trusted members of the community especially elderly people would be chosen because of their righteousness to represent the community and speak to God through the Voice at Njelele. Every homestead within the communities would choose their best harvest and select their offering to God and give the Ambassador to carry to Njelele. These offerings acted as a way to ask for guidance and good rains as they start a new year. The traditional year started when fields were prepared for the next harvest.
These envoys or Ambassadors of the people spoke to and heard the Voice speak. After the envoys had delivered the peoples' offerings, it was noted that when they returned to their homes the rains would start raining. It is believed this ceremony was done during the July to September period.
How does this relate to Guta RaMwari?
When God returned in 1954, the Harvest Celebrations, as a culture was revived and celebrated from June to September around the world. The concept of every homestead putting aside an offering continued with Guta Ra Mwari members and still does, up to today. It still symbolizes gratitude and also prayers of God's guidance till the next Harvest Celebration, just as it was done traditionally.
The Offerings song is a sacred song that is only sang during the Harvest services to allow different families to bring forward their offerings. The offerings are at a family level that is a single family member is tasked to take their 'harvest' offering forward. This is one difference from the Njelele era where the whole community tasked a few individuals with their offering. The offering now are not crops or livestock like yester years but rather reflect the current currency of exchange.
To ask for good rains, there is a process that is done at the start of the Harvest Celebrations. The process is a series of Holy songs that are sang by the whole congregation in a specific order. The order is as follows; Hymn 1, 7 and 5, all in a slow tune. At the end of the last hymn, the word "Forever" marks the end of the process. The process is done for that year.
Nobody is allowed to move in & out of the prayer hall, nobody is allowed to stand and walk around while these Hymns are in progress. Congregants are required to be together at heart during this process for it to be blessed by God. All these rules and procedures must be followed in this exact manner. This is significant as it shows us the simplified method of asking for rain that God has declared for us in Guta RaMwari
It is clear that as a people, Harvest Celebrations are God's design. It is a great culture that was done by our fore fathers and is done today in Guta Ra Mwari. This is one moment that we should be proud of. We sometimes assume that our fore fathers got everything wrong when it comes to religion especially now after the post-colonialism era. The changes that have happened here in Guta Ra Mwari reflect God's presence and reflect that God set Standing Orders for us to abide by. The Holy Spirit is in Holy branches that God sanctioned and where children of God meet.
We praise God for continuously blessing us with rain a fulfilling life in this new year. Forever.