During the 19th century, a woman gave birth to a set of twins — boy and girl. During that time, tradition dictated that one of them be killed but somehow, the twins evaded death.
They were named Nyamita and Chaminuka.
Their father was of the Shava totem. He was a poor man from Manzou area, present day Mazowe but was resident at his in-laws’ place somewhere in Pfura, the present day Mt Darwin, where he was doing chores as a way of paying bride price.
One day, the twins’ mother went to the river and her children were taken by the water spirits, the mermaids.
Nyamita was to be possessed by the spirit of Nehanda Nyakasikana, the famous spirit among the Shona people. Nehanda Nyakasikana was the daughter of the great Shona warrior, Murengasororenzou or Murenga. Wars of liberation were named Chimurenga after him.
During the times of war, hardships and turbulence; the spirit of Nehanda would manifest to give direction and guidance to the nation.
However, Nyamita did not live long to the time of the First Chimurenga as the spirit had deserted her after she committed some abomination when she arrived in Manzou.
The spirit later manifested itself upon an old lady named Charwe who became popular and was last to be the widely known as the Nehanda medium.
Chaminuka passed-on eight years before the whites colonised the land and therefore, did not play a role in the First Chimurenga.
However, he possessed mystical powers and was also a “Rainmaker” of repute in his territory of long grass (Dungwiza), hence the place was named Chitungwiza.
The spirits of Nehanda and Chaminuka somehow had a relation with water and the water spirits.
However, during their time and before them, was also another Nyakasikana, a mermaid spirit who resided in the Nzunza Mountain in Nyanga.
Her deeds were not well documented, probably since they were not politically inclined. They were told through oral African history.
Though not related to Nehanda, Nyakasikana or Semukadzi played a crucial role as she was a rainmaker, could foretell the advent of diseases, wars and natural disasters.
She had influence in rivers and pools in most parts of Manicaland and they could not go dry.
Her other crucial role was in the conservation of the ecological system. She led people into observing the laws of the land.
Unwarranted cutting down of trees, adultery and fornication in the forests as well as the abomination of sacred pools or kuwozhera was prohibited.
Nyakasikana or Semukadzi was consulted through the people of the Simboti totem who have for centuries been leading the people who are resident in eastern Zimbabwe and present day Mozambique.
Alice Masuku, a medium of Firakutumwa of the Simboti totem said Nyakasikana also had fertility powers to bring good harvests to the land.
“Nyakasikana is the name of the mermaid who resides in the Nzunza Mountain of Nyanga but patrols in other sacred rivers in the eastern part of the country. We of the Simboti call her Semukadzi or Tete as the role she plays is more or less like that of a great aunt to the people. Over the centuries, Nyakasikana would warn of outbreaks of disease and locusts.
“If foretold of disease outbreaks and would give us precautionary remedies. She would cure children of diseases and solve women infertility,” said Masuku.
Two other mediums from that part of the country — Mutambwa and Chimwanda — worked and still work with Nyakasikana.
Masuku said Nyakasikana played a key role during the pre-colonial times but her influence waned after colonisation. The Simboti lost control of the area.
African traditionalist, Mr Ferdinand Tahwa said Nyakasikana’s role at Nzunza could be equated to that of Nyaminyami in the Zambezi valley and other sacred places in the country. Tahwa said Nyakasikana’s rainmaking prowess would lead to abundant harvests in Manicaland.
“Nyakasikana’s influence was profound in the whole plateau and some parts of present day Mozambique. Remember, before colonisation there were no boundaries, the people were just one.
“In traditional cosmology, the aunties or madzitete (aunties) guard against the misfortune from the east. As a result, Nyakasikana prevented all the bad omen from the seas into the mainland thus if there were to be floods, locusts or any other migratory pests, she would warn people.
“She provided for people like Nyaminyami did from the Zambezi Valley. People would either go to Mabweadziva or to Nzunza depending on which place was nearer but most people from the eastern part of the country would visit Nzunza Mountain where Nyakasikana resided.
“She still has a lot of influence because if you look at it, rivers and dams in Manicaland are always filled with water. Remember the story of the difficulties in building Osborne dam until rituals were done, she is responsible for safeguarding the conservation of the ecosystem,” said Tahwa
Nzunza Mountain is not the only sacred place in Zimbabwe. There is also Mabweadziva, Pool of Rocks; Kariva Gorge where Nyaminyami used to reside.
That area is present day Kariba on which the dam was built.
At Chirorodziva in Chinhoyi Caves, locals widely consulted the spirits and some are still doing so. Dzivaguru is also popular among the Shona as the big pool.
This belief of worshipping marine spirits through ancestors is not peculiar to Zimbabwe alone but world over. In the Congo near Lubumbashi, the people had their own version of Nyakasikana.
The medium was called Nakamwale, a Chilamba language term which means an adolescent girl, just like Nyakasikana in Shona language.
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