The Coffee village was situated between the two valleys, on top of a plateau which its surface laid flat like it had been flattened with a straight plank. On the western and eastern side of the plateau ran the two streams that met about eighty-seven kilometres south of the Coffee village, and formed Kanana river. The banks of the streams were lined up on the sides with huge willow trees. The residents that lived within these ridges and valleys of these two tributaries of the Kanana river had a litany of legends that were often passed on orally from generation to generation by elders in the community.

On the eastern side deep down into the valley lay a stretch of corn fields that ran along the baseline of the stream. The soil was fertile, among the corn fields there was chief Makoa’s field, which by its sheer size reflected its chiefly proportion in comparison to the rest of other corn fields, on the northern edges of it there was a huge lake surrounded by reeds. The lake was the pillar of strength for Makoa and his people. It was revered because of the spiritual powers that resided inside it. For the people of Coffee village the mist that could be observed in the early hours of the morning around the lake also signified the magical powers of the gods that resided in the lake and among the reeds.

Although the water in the stream was always crystal clean, once it ran into the lake, the colour changed to greenish, even at a close inspection, one could hardly see the bottom of the lake. This sight in itself explained the mystical reality of the powers that resided in the lake. No one ventured into the lake except for those who were spiritually enlightened

. These were the people who had a special calling, the diviners and faith healers who were permitted to get into the lake to speak to the spirits of the ancestors whom the villagers believed, were residing in the lake. Those who were called to the vocation of diviners and faith healers would submerge themselves into the lake, as part of ritual ceremony to appease the spirit of ancestors at the graduation stage of their training and later receive the final instructions from the gods of Makoa’s people.

Each novice called to be a diviner and faith healer would go through the initiation rite under the strict supervision of a revered faith healer and diviner. Part of the training included a complete surrender of oneself to the spirits, denouncing worldly possessions and behaviour which by village standards was ungodly; like drinking alcohol and having sex. Each of the novices undergoing this training, as the legend in the village has it, would discard any family ties and talked only with and through her/his spiritual instructor for a period that stretched from six months to a year, depending on demands from the gods of the individual called to the vocation.

Towards the end of the training, a ceremony, which included the slaughtering of a cow and a celebration would be conducted at the home of the novice aspiring to be a diviner. This ritual would be conducted a night before the novice set out to meet the ancestors in the lake. The ceremony consisted of a night vigil of songs, dance, accompanied by the clapping of hands and the beating of drums that would last throughout the night. At the dawn the proceedings would head to the east down the valley, until the crowds accompanying the diviner novice arrived at the lake. From the village to the lake the crowd would quietly leave in solemn procession, headed by a group of diviners walking in front of them, among whom silently walking like a sheep to be sacrificed, would be the diviner novice waiting to be graduated.

Upon their arrival at the lake, the hype of singing, drum-beating, clapping of hands and hysterical dancing by the group of veteran diviners would resume marking the highlight of the occasion. A graduating novice head still bowed down from the moment the solemn journey started right up to the lake, would maintain the same composure, despite the frantic singing and dancing near the lake. As the crowd approached the lake, only the novice and other diviners would come close to the edges of the lake, the rest of the crowd would continue singing, clapping hands and beating drums from a reasonable distance. At the height of hysteria the graduating diviner would go into the lake and come out at sun rise. It was believed that once the novice was submerged inside the lake, the gods would take him or her deep down to the bottom of the lake on a dry ground, where the novice would receive healing powers and divining knowledge.

The legend has it that it was here, inside the lake that the revered powers resided. The powers that gave chief Makoa and his subjects strength over other tribes. It was also believed that women came here among the reeds surrounding the lake next to the chief’s field to collect babies. And each time there was a new born baby in any of the homesteads in chief Makoa’s village two reeds were placed on the roof of the entrance of a hut where the woman who gave birth stayed. The reeds had meaning that conspicuously made a declaration, that this particular homestead has a new born. So, men were not allowed to enter the hut and a woman that gave birth was in seclusion inside that particular hut for four weeks, visited only by other women of the village. The legendary tales of why men were barred from entering such huts were many.

The story of Kwede who went to visit one of his wives during her period of seclusion was a tale that sent chills down the spine of young men aspiring to be drafted into the chief’s regiment as part of Makoa’s warriors.

This is how the story goes: the chief had summoned his warriors to his royal kraal in preparation for the raid on the Matebele tribe that lived far east of the Makoa territory. The Matebele were known to be stubborn, and often war engagements with them were a prolonged exercise.

Many of Makoa’s warriors and advisers felt the war was unnecessary and would bring untold suffering after years of relative stability. Makoa listened to his subjects but he could not swallow his pride over the fact that Mthikhulu, the chief of the Matebele had raided and captured his cattle, sheep and women three years ago, and he wanted to avenge these actions of sabotage.

“Yes, it is all fine now. Our crop yields have increased and our cattle and sheep have multiplied. The people of Coffee and its surrounding region of Kanana have experienced a relatively peaceful life and now Mthimkhulu has to be taught a lesson. No one, humiliates Makoa and gets away with it,” the chief warned his people in a public gathering. Deliberations over the raid of the Mthikhulu people went on for almost half of a day with the chief gradually winning the argument.

Key to the argument of those that were against the war was that Mthikhulu himself had shown signs of remorse. He had sent thirty heads of cattle to Makoa as a sign of tribute but more so to establish a cordial relationship because among the women that were captured during his raid was Thandeka, Makoa’s sister, a tall girl whose radiant face made her noticeable among other women. It was upon her arrival at Mtimkhulu’s royal house with the rest of the women that her presence caught Mtimkhulu’s attention.

He selected her among these new arrivals to become one of his wives. Thandeka, was royalty and conducted herself in a dignified manner and it was said that it was because of her mannerisms that Mtimkhulu loved her even more, and confided some of his plans to her. The year had hardly passed after the Mtimkhulu’s raid on Makoa, Thandeka had pressed upon Mtimkhulu to do the right thing, in order to avert the continuation of any hostility between the Matebele and her people.

“If you really love me, you have to send my brother a token of respect, as a sign of appreciation that you are now living with me as one of your wives, not a captured concubine,” Thandeka had pressed upon Mthimkhulu.

Mtimkhulu wasted no time and sent twenty of his men with thirty cattle, ten of those as a gift to Makoa himself and the other twenty as a payment to Thandeka’s family for (lobal) ,bride-price to signify Mtimkhulu’s commitment to Thandeka through marriage.

The chief then reminded his subjects, “remember we were nipped in the bud by these events, two years ago. You, were ready for action my people to take on the Matabele and to avenge for the pain they inflicted on us and unexpectedly we received Mtimkhulu’s men, sent by him to apologise to us. It was hard but we accepted his cattle as a sign of regret for what he did.

“You wanted to kill his messengers because the wounds Mtimkhulu inflicted on us were still fresh but I stopped you because my sister had sent a message to me stating that she was well received by Matebele people and Mtimkhulu had grown to love her and she now loved him too. Thandeka appealed to me not to go to war but to accept Mtimkhulu’s gifts as a sign of apology.

“My sister’s appeal was strong enough for me to humanly consider her feelings but Mtimkhulu is a man and he must not use a woman to buttress his faults with me. He has to account for his deeds and the time to do that is now,” Makoa concluded his address to the people.

“You have taken away the respect and dignified treatment that the Mtimkhulus and his subjects used to show me. If it was possible I would leave this place to come back home but I have two sons that I have to bring up as Mtimkhulus obeying and observing the dictates of Matebeles’ culture and customs. They are your own blood and by attacking the Mtimkhulus, you inflicted pain on me and my children too. When two years passed after accepting the cattle from Mtimkhulus, I thought my appeal to you to cease the hostility had sunk into your head but it had not.” The message was delivered to Makoa from his sister Thandeka.

“Tell Mtimkhulu that if his people are starving, I am more than ready to supply him with food. Here are some sheep to boost your kraal and feed your children. I will continue supporting you each year after harvest, if you convince Mtimkhulu to come and work for me; in that way there will be no more fights among our people. I am doing this for you because you are now living with Matebele, and if it was not for that I would have come again to finish off Mtimkhulu and his people,” Makoa said to his sister.

“I have called you here to discuss the future of our families and that of the whole tribe,” Makoa said.

“I am listening your royal highness, and anything you say, I will do,” Raboqa replied.

“I have thought hard about this and for a long time. Your son, Theko is a fine young man,” the chief said.

“Yes, yes, my lord, he has so far shown nothing that made me to doubt his character. I trust him,” Raboqa said.

“I know that already. I trust him too. What I called you here for is very important,” the chief said.

“I am listening, my lord,” said Raboqa.

“I want Theko and Ntsebo to work together in strengthening the administration of my place. To begin to takeover some of the duties from me,” Makoa said. “My lord as you can see, I am no longer a young man and most of the duties that are required of me for your people, Theko has taken over and does them on our behalf. Is there anything more that you want him to do, more than what he has already been doing?” Raboqa inquired.

“You are not hearing me well. What I am saying to you is that Theko must move to the royal kraal. But before that can be done I want your family to talk and Theko and Ntsebo must have a union,” the chief said.

“You mean marriage between the two?” Raboqa asked with a surprised look in his face.

“Yes, you heard well,” the chief said.



“Yoh! This is a big thing for me. However, I will ask Theko and his mother, and find out what their views are about what you are asking me,” Raboqa said.

“Listen to me Raboqa! And you listen very carefully. You don’t bring women into men’s affairs. You are the head of your own family, and here we are talking man to man. What does Theko’s mother have to do with this? All you have to do is to tell Theko that I intend to do him a big favour,” the chief said.

“ I understand my lord. However, it was his mother who a few days ago told me that Theko is courting one of the girls from the east. I mean a daughter from Mtimkhulu’s family,” Raboqa explained.

“No! Never! That will not happen. I have a plan and Theko is central to that plan for the success of Coffee village, after I have joined my ancestors. I have not much time left. Now, go and talk to your son and tell him that I say to him, Ntsebo is here and I want him to begin to recognise her more than anyone else. You hear me?” the chief said with his voice reflecting heightened tension.

“Yes, yes, my lord. I heard you loud and clear,” Raboqa said.

“Now, go and do what you are supposed to do as a head of your family,” the chief commanded Raboqa.