MASHONALAND East province is a land endowed with natural resources and mostly mountains and valleys. It is not surprising that so many of these are considered sacred and a source of celestial power.
Over the years, Chigona Mountain, which is located near Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre, has been a refuge for many who come in search of spiritual redemption and rejuvenation.
The mountain, which is associated with mysterious happenings, miracles, and supernatural experiences, is particularly popular because of its history with the martyred missionary, John Brudburn. Each September, around the anniversary of Bradburne’s death (5 September 1979), many pilgrims descend on the mountain.
It is believed that whoever climbs this mountain and prays for a miracle will be granted his or her wish. As a result, it is estimated that as many as 30 000 pilgrims — foreign and local — flock to the area each September in search of life-changing miracles.
However, these professed supernatural powers are not unique to Chigona and Mutemwa mountains. There is another mystical mountain in Tsiko Village, also known as Gwaze, about 17 kilometres from Mutoko Centre. Interestingly, locals call the mountain Harare.
According to Masika Chitiyo Gwaze the custodian of history in the area, Harare is home to miracles and supernatural occurrences just like Chigona. Gwaze said the sacredness of the mountain was the main reason why their village remained relatively peaceful during Zimbabwe’s war of liberation despite being frequented by both guerilla fighters and Rhodesian forces.
“I am from the headman’s family and my father directly experienced what I will share. I was just a young man during the war of liberation and I know that there was no single gunshot fired in this area.
“It remained peaceful throughout the war. Rhodesian forces and freedom fighters never clashed in our area. There are many caves around Harare Mountain used as hiding places by the freedom fighters,” Gwaze told the Daily News on Sunday.
He added that no one can climb the sacred mountain willy-nilly without the necessary spiritual permission.
“The traditional leaders have to plead with the ancestors first before one can climb the mountain. “This mountain is sacred; it helps us to solve all our problems. Yearly, we have adequate rainfall and our people always have sufficient food,” Gwaze claimed.
Gwaze said the mountain is frequented by Europeans, mostly Italian tourists who pushed for the erection of a cross in memory of John Bradburne, who dedicated his life to the care of people with leprosy at Mutemwa in Mutoko. Bradburne was killed on the fifth of September 1979.
“Italians came here to put the holy cross as a remembrance of how this village treated John Bradburne. My father, who was the headman then, asked the freedom fighters not to kill him in our village therefore he was well kept in one of the caves on this mountain.
“Bradburne would eat derere (okra) and many of our local food until my father advised the freedom fighters to take him to cross into Mozambique. My sister even said he prayed with her before he departed. “Bradburne, however, took his job seriously as the warden of the Mutemwa leper colony and refused to cross into Mozambique, leading to him being killed for fear that he would divulge secrets to the Rhodesian forces,” explained Gwaze.
Bradbrune’s time at Mount Harare reportedly led to many miracles and it is believed even in death these miracles are still evident to date. Just like Chigona Mountain, which is close to Mutemwa Leper Colony, Harare Mountain is associated with mystical occurrences.
“We should promote this mountain as a tourist attraction place to allow our own Zimbabweans to also visit and feel the power in this place. “We always receive European visitors who come to pray here. To us it is the place where the powers of God and that of our ancestors who guided us through war meet. We strongly believe that whatever a person asks for in this mountain, happens for them,” Gwaze added.
Whether myth or fact, Mount Harare stands tall with its caves and the cross of John Bradburne. It continues to attract international tourists keen to experience its professed mystical powers.