Why Njelele, a Rainmaking Shrine in the Matobo World Heritage Area, Zimbabwe, Has Not Been Proclaimed a National Monument

Abstract

Njelele, a rainmaking shrine on the southwestern fringes of Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, has not been proclaimed a national monument in spite of being one of the most important cultural heritage places in southern Africa. The initial motivation for proclaiming Njelele a national monument emanated, in part, from contests for recognition of spiritual status and thus control of Njelele by members of local indigenous communities. Control over Njelele also has been a source of conflict between the local people and government departments since at least the 1960s. I contend that neither colonial administrators nor post-liberation politicians, who consulted the oracle at Njelele at the height of the country’s liberation struggle, could bring about national monument status for Njelele because it embodied the diverse values of several interest groups.