Masvingo’s Rise and Fall

So after they entered this country, they settled here. Then they encountered others who had taken different migration routes.

So they said, “Those who came following the coast are the Mahungwe.” Mahungwe refers to the people of the fish eagle, or hungwe. So that name is widespread throughout Manyikaland. Let’s just say that all the way from Rusape to Inyanga, they are called Mahungwe. All of those people are called Mahungwe. They said those people followed the water like a fish eagle, so they are the Mahungwe.

So those who took a different route sent women ahead of them, saying, “Go ahead and inquire of the people you meet how things are up ahead.” Whatever it was that they needed, they sent women. Then they were called the Matonga, because they are ruled by women.

Those who came through the middle route were the senior people to arrive. So when women were sent they asked, “Why are you women being sent? Where are your men?” They replied, “The men stayed behind. So they sent us to come and ask.” The ones who came through that route are called the Matonga, because they are ruled by women.

So once people settled here they constructed buildings out of stone, which we call masvingo. They built Masvingo saying, “This is our great city, where we shall henceforth dwell. Our king shall live inside, ruling over his domain. And this is where we shall pray to our ancestral spirits.”

So there was a bird, a type of fish eagle, that lived there. If anything bad was going to happen, it would cry all night long. If it cried all night, there is something it is saying. So they called it njerere, and it spoke of things to come.

So that fish eagle’s image continues to appear on all things related to Zimbabwe. It is a great bird. Its importance, the reason for it to appear on the flag, is that it sat atop Masvingo’s great stone walls.

Those who built it said, “We shall all live together with out king.” But they didn’t realize how their numbers would grow. So as their population increased, it caused them to commit crimes of incest, or makunakuna. So then Masvingo fell.

So when Masvingo fell they said, “Oh, things have turned bad here.” They began to move in various directions, until they had all dispersed. Because they said, “This place is no longer liveable. Masvingo has fallen. A crime has been committed here.”