Lemba Cultural Association
Lemba Cultural Association
The Lembas adore, worship and pray only to Yahweh (Mwali we Denga) the living spiritual being,
i.e. Monotheism,
they neither adore ancestral spirits nor
idols of animals, trees, stones, the sun, stars or the moon which Yahweh has made.
They had their priest of the Buba Clan, who when praying would wash their hands, wear a white cloth around the neck and end their prayer
with the word ‘Amen’ (Ex 20:4-5).
The Lembas have lost their book (The Torah: The Law) on their long journeys,
but the message of the book is written in their hearts.
Lembas practice personal and food hygiene. They wash their hands before and after meals in a clay basin. They eat meat of a clean animal with separate hoofs which is ruminant (chews cud). This is the reason why Lembas don’t eat swine meat (pork, bacon, ham) for swine is unclean and has tape worms. Lembas eat meat of an animal which has been slaughtered. They don’t eat meat of a dead animal (nyamufu). Oral tradition informs that Lembas taught African people to eat fish.
Lembas sing songs reflecting happiness and sorrow. Their songs are usually accompanied by madeze (Mbila/Harp) which produces music ofa high standard, which has sharos.
Their songs are inter alia:Swanzwila, Magudo (Baboons referring to
the tovhakale, climbing tall wall like baboons: ndo sala mudongo ndi
li ndo ga nda ka lashigwa - I am left in the rains alone, I am lost): munhu mmbi mu cha mmbona, ka vha kufa mu cha mulila (a person is bad when you still see him, when he dies you mourn him: Ku lovhola ku no vhulaisa, ndi no gala zwangu pa milota (marrying may cuse your death, rather dwell in the ashes).
There is a famous song called NDINDE which was sung when a male returns home from from trading, driving cattle. It goes thus: ’Mushabi ano shaba nombe, a sa shabi mbudzi lukwembe, wa vhuya mashaba nombe wa vhuya, wa vhuya na chikadzi chiche,’ he returns cattle buyer he returns, he returs with his wife, meaning cattle will marry a wife.
The Lembas circumcise their male children at the age of eight.This is the symbol of the covenant, God made with their ancestors Abraham that he would be their God and they would be his people (Gen 17:10-14) there was a shift of circumcision age from eight years owing to changing circumstances in accordance with time and place. The circumcision was performed at home and the circumcision lodge was just behind the fence. Chief Makhado Ramabulana Thovhela was the first Muvenda (singo) male to be circumcised by the Lembas at ha-Chilaphala near Chamatangwi at Mashau in 1854. He was circumcised by Chibvumo Mbangambanga hadji. He was named Razwimisani. When makhado became King, The Venda people adopted the culture of circumcision from Lembas. Makhado forced even
men into circumcision: this is the reason why circumcision was later performed in the bush away from home.