One on one with Vazaya

This time  The Only Truth blog website have a  one on one with one of the son of the soil,  the all rounder of Xitsonga music,  get to know the artist who has an impeccable talent,  Mr Mackson Shirinda.

The Only Truth: When did you start your music career and What inspired you 
Vazaya: I started my music career in 1998 and was inspired by my father General MD Shirinda.  He is a great singer and has spiked zeal for me to want to sing, I wanted to emulate and walk on his foot steps. I also mingled with artists like Matshwa Bemuda whom I liked his music so much,  it also kept my dream to be a singer alive.

The Only Truth:Your place of birth
Vazaya: I was born in a village called Makhasa in Malamulele,  under the Hosi Maxeleni 

The Only Truth: Can you briefly give us your background
Vazaya: I would not say things were rough when I grew up,  I had almost everything a child needs that includes the necessary support and guidance. My family encouraged me and my siblings to go to school and learn.  I followed the music career because of the the desire and passion instead of everything else.

The Only Truth: how can you describe your music career in detail 
Vazaya: like I said I  started singing in 1998,  we  formed a group called miyakayaka na vo  makwavo and released two albums.  I left the group and worked with penny penny and was playing drums for his Makhwaya albums. I also worked with  Gezani Thomas Mzamani where I  also played drums and key board.  I was also a drummer for Flora and Sunglen when they were recording,  in a nutshell I worked with lots of artists.  Having played drums to lots of artists,  I ended up starting my own thing Producing people like Xindendefu and also people like Minge swikoti Magaza.  I have produced almost twenty artists,  I have got a mini studio for programming and also work with other people for further production.

The Only Truth: How would you like to be remembered 
Vazaya: I want to be remembered as a person who sings songs that empower people with knowledge and teaches them the way of life.  Most of my songs talks about family issues and also guide and teach those who are single

The Only Truth: How is it like to work with Rhangani and Dumusani 
Vazaya: it is life changing,  I have been uplifted from the place I was in the past.  I  have personally grown up and working with these two guys has changed some of the things in my life.

The Only Truth: Is this your first  CD
Vazaya: No,  actually it is my  8th, but we can say it is the first because I have twirled the style of singing and the first in my collaboration with Rhangani and Dumusani,  and for this reason we call it goal number one.

The Only Truth: Why did you feel it was important to sing about bushiri track no 6
Vazaya: when I walked around people have been talking a lot of things about Bushiri.  Some  talked good of him while others bad mouthed  him.  I then asked people who believe in his teachings and they told me a lot of good things about him.  I then realized that what people perceive about Bushiri  is not true,  I then decided  to write a song to  change people perceptions  and to make them realize that judging other people without facts is wrong.

The Only Truth: how do you compare yourself with other artists 
Vazaya: Other artists just compose music for dancing with no message what so ever.  There is no intent to build the nation nor to educate the public.  As much as I  make people dance I also share my knowledge in life and educate the public

The Only Truth: Thank you Vazaya for your time 

Vazaya: Thanks 

Loise van schoor being a government beneficiary a huge contradiction

I read with shock an article on the Sunday times 22 may 2016,  it is alleged that Van Schoor is benefiting from a government multi million Rand land reform programme. The  land reform programme main objective is to redress the injustices of the past and inequalities in South Africa.  

It is well documented that South Africa is one of the most racially unequal countries in the world.  In fact If one of the developed countries like America still experience the racial wealth Gap, in which a typical White household has 16 times the wealth of a Black one,  then what about South Africa? (forbe magazine, 26 March 2015). 

Let me rather not dwell much on the wealth gap,  which is a very sensitive issue currently in South Africa

The department of Agriculture is the only one that can tell us how did  the mass murderer ended up being the role model and an important member of the the public.  I mean the guy can not even tell how many people  he killed,  during apartheid he haphazardly shot at everything that moves. Killing people  like birds.. Pha!  Pha!  Pha! One by one .. Today he is the man of the people,  he is giving back to the same people by securing himself a paying job from government.. Mmmm! Maybe one would understand if he was volunteering,  I have seen remorseful sinners who turn up to be good Samaritans.  Remorse is the first step when you want forgiveness. 

Shock and pain does not just vanish  like what we see in Nigerian movies.  The dead are still dead, and sleepless nights of sorrow might be dragging on to the victims family. However, we are a forgiving nation! Let us not contradict the land reform,  let us rather build an equal Society   

Vuwani residents experiencing systematic forced removal

We pride ourselves and even go as far as coining phrases that has become the statement of core principles,  phrases like "people shall govern".  This is the most powerful phrase that made people to believe in themselves and spiked lots hope and  strength. 

Vuwani used to be a nice, quite and peaceful place that you would go to relax and to enjoy the state of solitude in a diverse and beautiful vegetation that surrounds the area. Today it has been turned into a no go area,  schools are burnt left, right and center,  while the vegetation is used as a shield and hiding place for protesters against the police.  More than 60000 learners have been left stranded,  denied their constitutional rights to education. 

But  if you look at it critically,  the government is the one that has engeniered the problem.  There would not be a protest,  had the demarcation board not made such declaration that vuwani be incorporated into a new municipality.

All the vuwani residents are saying is that they do not want to be incorporated into the new mysterious municipality.  They say you can form another municipality but please don't include us because we are happy where we are. 

Another problem is how the municipality was formed,  remember that the malamulele community also burnt tires and properties calling for a new municipality to be formed.  So the municipality was not formed peacefully.

This is the problem that will never be solved unless the process is reversed.  If the demarcation board succeed in imposing the new municipality to vuwani people then I foresee lots of service delivery protest to come.  Any dissatisfaction fication would amount to violence protest because you have incorporated bunch of unhappy people.

Blesser and blessie pure evil

Some people glorify the Blesser and Blessie trend as a proper arrangement where two parties are direct with one another with no strings attached. For people to even think that the Blesser Blessie is a new trend is pathetic and being ignorant to say the  least.  Suger baby and Suger dady has been there  for ages. The only thing that is new is  the word "blesser",  coined by those who are determined to continue to exploit the have not. If  you critically analyze and scrutinize the age gap between the Blesser and the blessie you would realize that the gap is huge.  It is not the peers having this particular kinda like business relationship. Pure prostitution!!!! of course, It depends on how you define it. Those in denial would even call a black colour  white just to protect their course. Honestly, humans have exchanged money and goods for sex
for thousands of years, and indeed it
seems that any society that begins to develop material wealth soon develops some form of prostitution. People think it is  ok for a "Blesser" to hand over a token to a "blessie" in return for a specific sexual  favor because they view
postitutes as a "special"  group of outcasts walking the streets half naked or bare.

The Bible says the rich rule over the poor.. Amen!!.. Most people accept that life is not fair, but the word fairness gets used a lot when we talk about income inequality. Is it right that some have so much material comfort and security, while others have so little? On the other hand, is it proper for the poor of the poorest to engage in prostitution just because they have nothing ?

I fully agree with Barbara when she said "it is actually more expensive to be poor than not poor."  for example as she highlighted,  If you can’t afford the first month's rent and security deposit you need in order to rent an apartment, you may get stuck in an overpriced residential motel. If you don’t have a kitchen or even a refrigerator and
microwave, you will find yourself falling back on convenience store food, which in addition to its nutritional deficits is also alarmingly overpriced. If you need a loan, as most poor people eventually do, you will end up paying an interest rate many times more than what a more affluent borrower would be charged.

This where those who have means,  the rich and wealthy come in.. They come at a time when you are vulnerable and stranded, and dangle the carrot that is difficult to refuse.

Ngano 'Fairytale'

Ngano is a Tshivenda word for fairytales. Ngano are usually related by senior members of the family, particularly mothers and grandmothers. Family members gather around tshivhaso (fireplace) in autumn and winter to enjoy the harvest after toiling in the fields in spring and summer. Storytellers take turns to relate Ngano. The storyteller starts by saying “ salungano salungano” , meaning ‘ like a fairytale like a fairytale' , and the listeners respond by saying “saalungano” . The storyteller tells the fairytale and listeners keep saying “saalungano” after every sentence made by the storyteller. This is to indicate that they are listening and are interested in the fairytale told. The storyteller can also stand up and dance to dramatise what s/he is relating.

The characters in the Ngano are usually humans and animals. Animals are given a voice and portrayed as interacting with humans and talking like humans. Animals can be portrayed as mischievous, intelligent, stupid, cunning, unreliable, evil, kind, etc. A rabbit/hare ( muvhuda) is portrayed as both intelligent and mischievous, and it goes by the name of Sankambe, while a baboon (pfene ) is portrayed as stupid and goes by the name of Mudzhou.

Hyenas, owls, and snakes (with the exception of pythons) are the most hated creatures in the Tshivenda culture since they are regarded as the agents of evil. It is believed that witches and wizards use them for witchcraft purposes. This belief is reflected in all fairytales where hyenas, owls, and poisonous snakes are featured. The Tshivenda word for hyena is phele , while an owl is called gwitha . A person whose behaviour and conduct are regarded as despicable is usually referred to as a phele or gwitha.

A jackal ( phungubwe ) is portrayed as a thief, unreliable, and selfish. Carnivores such as lion ( ndau ), leopard ( didinngwe ), and cheetah ( nngwe ) play interchangeable roles. They are sometimes portrayed as bloodthirsty creatures, while at other times they are portrayed as saviours. A lion, like in most African cultures, is usually portrayed as the King of all animals.

Elephant ( ndou ), the most beloved and respected animal in the Tshivenda culture is always portrayed as the wisest of all animals and as the Lion's chief advisor.

The python ( tharu ) is the only snake that is revered in the Tshivenda culture. It is seen as a symbol of fertility and long lasting life. That is why maidens who perform the domba dance join hands and arms and move like a python. It is also believed that Lake Fundudzi , the only natural lake in South Africa , is guarded by pythons that live beneath its waters. It is also believed that, in the ancient days, these pythons would drink most of the water from the lake when they were upset a dn that there would be drought in the whole of Vendaland. These pythons had to be appeased by the community through the sacrificing of a virgin who would disappear into the lake and would never be seen again. The ritual to appease the pythons would be led by the Netshiavha/Netshiheni royals who are still regarded as the custodians of the lake.

The Fairytale of the Virgin who Caused the Drought

There is a fairytale about a girl whose marriage was arranged by her family and her husband's family. The girl agreed to marry the man even though she had never met him. She went to live in her husband's homestead but months passed without her seeing her husband. When she wanted to know where he husband was, the first wife, Vho-Nengome, would tell her that she was not allowed to set her eyes on him, and that all she needed to do was to cook for him and feel him when he visited her at night.

The girl would prepare lunch for her husband everyday, and would leave the meals in the hut. She would then go to work the fields and return late in the afternoon. She would always find clean plates and would be told that her husband ate the meals. Curiosity got the better of her and one day she hid in the bushes to see the husband she had never met. At lunchtime she saw a huge python making its way to the hut where she left the lunch. She then proceeded to the hut and saw the python eating the food she prepared. She screamed and the python left the hut and disappeared from sight.

The girl went back home and told her parents she was not going to have a snake for a husband. But, unfortunately, the lake started drying and the rains stopped falling. There was drought in the land. Community leaders consulted diviners, chief priests, and rainmakers to no avail. Rituals were performed but still the heavens refused to open up. The drought continued for years.

Then one night Chief Netshiavha/Netshiheni was visited by Raluvhimba (the Venda High God) who told him that the rain gods had been insulted, and the virgin who insulted the gods should be sacrificed. Chief Netshiavha/Netshiheni did not know who the guilty virgin was. He called a community meeting and told the community what Raluvhimba had told him.

Diviners were summoned to point out the culprit. They threw their divination bones ( thangu ), and revealed that the guilty virgin was the one married to a python, and that she angered the rain gods by casting her eyes on the python.

After hearing that, the girl leapt forward and confessed that she was the one who cast her eyes on her python husband. She even declared that she was ready to be sacrificed for the sake of the community.

The day was set when the entire community would gather for a religious ritual. Mpambo , sorghum beer used in religious rituals, was brewed.

Oxen, sheep and goats were slaughtered on the day of the ritual. The chief priest, tshifhe , announced that the girl should take the meat and the beer to the lake and offer them to the gods. The girl obeyed the instruction and walked to the lake carrying mpambo and meat. She went into the lake while everybody was watching. Suddenly there was thunder. The girl started disappearing from sight, and the heavens opened up. It is said that it rained for seven days and nights.

The domba dance, performed by maidens, is a way of paying tribute to the pythons at Lake Fundudzi .

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Raluvhimba (Mudzimu)

The name is composed of the prefix Ra-, which is honorific and perhaps connected with the idea of 'Father'; luvhimba is the eagle, the bird that soars aloft. It symbolizes the great power which travels through the cosmos, using the heavenly phenomena as its instruments.

'Raluvhimba is connected with the beginning of the world and is supposed to live somewhere in the heavens and to be connected with all astronomical and physical phenomena. . . . A shooting star is Raluvhimba traveling; his voice is heard in the thunder; comets, lightning, meteors, earthquakes, prolonged drought, floods, pests, and epidemics- in fact, all the natural phenomena which affect the people as a whole- are revelations of the great god. In thunderstorms he appears as a great fire near the chief's kraal, whence he booms his desires to the chief in a voice of thunder; this fire always disappears before any person can reach it. At these visitations the chief enters the hut and, addressing Raluvhimba as Makhalu [Grandfather], converses with him, the voice of god replying either from the thatch of the hut or from a tree nearby; Raluvhimba then passes on in further clap of thunder. Occasionally he is angry with the chief and takes revenge on the people by sending them a drought or a flood, or possibly by opening an enormous cage in the heavens and letting loose a swarm of locusts on the land.'

Raluvhimba, it is said, was wont to manifest himself by appearing from time to time as a great flame on a platform of rock above a certain cave. With the flame there came a sound as of clanking irons on hearing which the people shouted with joy and their cries passed on throughout the country. The Chief mounted to the platform where he called upon Raluvhimba, thanked him for revealing himself and prayed on behalf of his people for rain, felicity and peace.

He is at times greeted spontaneously by the whole people in a way that is most unusual amongst the southern Bantu. The Rev. G. Westphal of the Berlin Mission relates that in 1917 a meteor burst in the middle of the day making a strange humming sound followed by a thunder-like crash. This portent was greeted by the people, not with terror but with cries of joy. Another Missionary, the Rev. McDonald, tells how after a slight tremor of the earth the was an extraordinary clamour among the people, the lululuing of women, clapping of hands and shouting 'The whole tribe was greeting Raluvhimba who was passing through the country.' People say that during an earthquake they hear a noise in the sky similar to thunder. Then they clap their hands to welcome the mysterious god and pray: 'Give us rain! Give us health.'

Dr H.A. Junod says that Raluvhimba is regarded as the maker and former of everything and as the rain-giver. If rain is scarce and starvation threatens, people complain: 'Raluvhimba wants to destroy us,' they say the same if floods spoil their fields. Prayers and sacrifices are offered in times of drought. There is some notion of Raluvhimba as Providence. He takes care no only of the tribe as a whole but of individual members. When a man has narrowly escaped drowning he will say: 'I have been save by Raluvhimba, Mudzimu.'
Raluvhimba is identified with Mwari (or Nwali) whose earthly abode (like Yahwe's on Mount Sinai) is in the Matopo Hills of Southern Rhodesia. Every year the Venda used to send a special messenger (whose office was hereditary) with a black ox and a piece of black cloth as an offering to Mwari. The black ox was set free in the forest to join the god's large herd which had accumulated there.

Edwin W. Smith, 'The Idea of God among South African Tribes' in Smith (ed.), African Ideas of God, a Symposium (2nd Ed. London, 1950) pp.124-126
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