Headman Siyamabbechu
This reporter was pleasantly surprised when, as part of the arts and culture news crew, he recently visited Simchembu in Gokwe North only to find that the impression created by films and the media of a weird race of people addicted to tobacco and drugs is completely different to the facts on the ground and therefore suggests that we have a rethink.
This reporter has seen pictures of so-called Tonga girls; bare breasted and toothless, tribal markings on their faces, barefoot and clad only in colourful intricately woven beads aprons, necklaces, arm and leg bands and heavily tattooed, half naked women puffing away at their calabash pipes, reeds piercing their faces and ring worm infestations in their hair.
A snap survey by this publication revealed that some sectors of the media seem to take pride in painting a false picture of the BaTonga people.
In the remote rural village that we visited, happy children ran around crudely patched dwellings and we could hear occasional adult laughter. In an interview, Gokwe North Headman, Chawilila Syamabbechu expressed serious concern over what he called defamatory, derogatory images of the Tonga people created by the media.
“We are aware of some of the offending misinformation that is often spread about us, the BaTonga people. We are however working tirelessly to clarify this image. Indeed we will never rest or give up living according to the veritable BaTonga culture and balanced norms, beliefs and cultural values,†said Syamabbechu, adding that every year the tribe celebrate the Buntibe Arts Festival where only genuine BaTonga values are celebrated.
The proud headman Chawilila Syamabbechu concluded by inviting members of the public to visit Simchembu in Gokwe North and to witness first-hand, true BaTonga culture rather than believing speculative and misleading articles.
Post published in: Arts