Depending on your level of superstitious beliefs, the month of November, according to Shona cultural traditions, is supposed to be a month of rest. Traditional and cultural events which are held during this month are rendered a nullity. It is said that transgressors of this traditional custom bring bad luck upon themselves. Weddings, for instance, held during November will end up in divorce or other disasters as punishment for this abomination. This explains why to this day we do not see many (if any) weddings in Zimbabwe during the month of November.
in the groove by Fred Zindi
If you will recall, in 2012, the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was found guilty by Chief Negomo, Lucious Chitsinde, of breaking customary laws that prohibit families from performing marriage rites in the “sacred” month of November. His “marriage” with Leocadia Karimatsenga did not last. Those who believe in this traditional custom think that the divorce was due to the fact that Tsvangirai had broken customary laws. In November people are supposed to be preparing their fields for growing crops and anyone who decides not to follow this tradition in order to concentrate on other things is bound to be cursed.
But is November really a sacred month? It depends on how superstitious one is. There has not been any scientific evidence to show that the month of November is different from other calendar months.
Superstition is a pejorative term for any belief or practice that is considered irrational. It may arise from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science, a positive belief in fate or magic, or simply from fear of the unknown.
Many people in Zimbabwe still believe in November being a sacred month and no business events should take place during this period because it will bring bad luck to the transgressor. If I believed in it, I would have advised Keen Mushapaidze and Jah Prayzah not to launch the album Chitubu on November 2 as it might bring bad luck to the culprits.
Despite some people holding such beliefs, the album launch went down a bomb as the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) was fully packed by his enthusiastic fans. The support acts who included Killer T, Ex Q, Nutty O, Seh Calaz, Enzo Ishall of Kanjiva fame and Mbeu, were well-received. The public address system and lighting worked perfectly well. In simple terms, there was no hitch. The arrangement and audience response was perfect. Despite the non-appearances of the likes of Phillip Chiyangwa, Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, Sir Wicknell Chivayo and others who are regular attendees at such events, Jah Prayzah left a lasting impression on those in attendance. It was a night that many of the invited guests got value for their time. Only those with superstitious beliefs thought that something would go wrong. Nothing did, and this was in November.
This is not the first time a prominent artiste has conducted an album launch in the month of November. On November 15, 2011, Sulumani Chimbetu came up with the album Syllabus that had the popular hit Sean Timba. Sulumani, or Sulu as his fans call him, is now being ranked among Zimbabwe’s top musicians.
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Many positive things also happen in the month of November. Today, November 11 is Armistice Day. The celebration of this day began way back in 1918 (exactly 100 years ago) when the Allied Powers and Central Powers in the First World War signed the armistice to end the war. That is a positive thing.
Debating with a friend about this traditional belief, I asked him whether or not if it still applied today. He was adamant: “Yes, anybody who does things in November is bound to be cursed. The consequences might not be thrust upon them immediately, but are bound to appear later. Look at Comrade Mugabe. He was deposed in November last year and a new dispensation came in”, he said. He, however, did not have an answer to whether the new dispensation which also came in in November would face the same consequences, except to say, “Wait and see”.
That set me thinking. There are many musicians who were born in November. Is their fate also sealed by virtue of being a November child? Alexio Kawara was born on November 28, 1978. He has been making strides in the music industry with releases such as Shaina, Karwiyo Aka and Nyaya YeRudo. Does being born in November also seal his fate? This is debatable.
Sandra Gazi, aka Lady Squanda, was born on November 23, 1992. I wonder if the good and bad things that have happened in her life are influenced by the fact that she was born in November.
I believe there are many good and bad things that happen in the month of November just like any other month. If being born in November was a curse, the several celebrities that I know who were born in November, would have not achieved much. These include former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono who was born on November 29, 1959, Wayne Black, born on November 14, 1973 and Thokozani Khupe, born on November 18, 1963. Traditionalists who believe that being born in November is a curse might argue that Khupe lost the MDC presidency to Nelson Chamisa and that’s not an achievement. However, if that was true, how do we explain the rise of people like November-born Sir Winston Churchill who survived the Second World War and went on to become the Prime Minister of Britain?
There are many Zimbabweans born in the month of November who have achieved big things here and abroad. Oskido, a house music DJ, for example, grew up in Zimbabwe and moved to South Africa at the age of 16 and he is well-known for doing hundreds of good things in music production.
Thandie Newton, who was born on November 6, 1972 to Nyasha, a Zimbabwean lady, is an international actress who has also made us proud for her achievements.
I interviewed a few people on the streets of Harare to find out their opinions about the month of November. Sceptics who do not believe that anything good will come out of the month of November gave me the following answers:
Joyce Tirivafi: “I believe the month of November is a cursed one because a friend of mine who, despite good advice from others, decided to get married and as they were coming from a photo session, their car was involved in an accident and she died on the spot. Everybody I know thinks this was as a result of her being defiant of customary law which forbids people from getting married in November.”
Josh Musamba: “Yes, look at what happened to Sharon Macheso in 2014. She got divorced in November and I was present at the court hearing”.
Lazarus Sauti: “I was at the City Sports Centre in November 2014 when I was tear-gassed by the police after Soul Jah Love and Seh Calaz were involved in a scuffle. Their confrontation had degenerated into chaos as their fans also started fighting among themselves. I told Chipaz, who was the promoter, not to have conducted this show in the month of November, but he told me that such beliefs are nonsensical. Now look what happened. People could have died and where is Chipaz now?”
Robert Nkala from Bulawayo: “My favourite musician, Tendai Marukutira, also known as MC Villa, died last year in November after insisting that he schedules a show during that month. I believe he died because that month is cursed.”
Alice Mukoko: “As a politician, I believe the Democrats in America lost seats in the Senate to Trump’s Republicans because the elections were held in November.”
I am beginning to get nervous because I am writing this article in the month of November when I should be resting. I am starting to develop the superstitious belief that anything may happen to me this month. Perhaps I will go to church today.
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