NASS MODULE

The meaning of National and Strategic Studies

-National and strategic Studies is an initiative with the prime focus of moulding and
refocusing Zimbabwean citizens in a desire to enable them to retain and cherish patriotism,
self discipline, sovereignty and contribute to the development of the country in all respects of
a Zimbabwe/ African environment.

-can be defined, as civic education designed to make all Zimbabweans who go through
tertiary education become responsible citizens who are patriotic and can therefore be
mobilised to participate in national development.

-the NASS programme has been designed to produce a Zimbabwean citizen, college
graduate, with a high level of knowledge and commitment to contribute to the development
of the country by exercising

 Patriotism
 Professionalism
 Good behaviour
 A commitment to National Development
 Civic education involves teaching of the values that can be cherished by the society
is typical of and in all educational systems and not a unique to Zimbabwe.

-for the above attributes to be exercised, all Zimbabweans must be proud citizens, must be of
paramount importance to the nation by contributing to the well being of Zimbabwe socially,
politically, economically and otherwise

Nass And The Future

-the future of Nass is clear and beneficial that it will be a happy return of the future to have:

 an uncorrupted society
 a generation with the will to commit themselves to their country
 a Zimbabwe free of poverty as a result of Entrepreneurial Development and
indigenisation
 a vibrant national cadre able to shrug off intrusions by imperialistic forces of any nature
 solution to our own programmes /problem as a country and not wait for prescriptions
from other wait
 a Zimbabwe -ideally sound
 build on collective effort
 bound by a desire to be us

The purpose of Nass

-Nass therefore is about positively changing or enhancing the attitude of the participants with
respect to their national identity and with respect to translating the political gains of the 2nd
Chimurenga into economic gains of the 3rd and 4th Chimurenga.

Components of Nass

History Legal & Parliamentary International Entrepreneurship

studies Relations

 Pre-colonial
 Colonial
 Independent
 Post independence
A- Zimbabwe history and heritage – is a module designed to enable the students to
appreciate an understanding of the beginnings of Zimbabwe as a nation and the various
indigenous resources that form our heritage.
-it seeks to create an awareness of the underlying factors that resulted in the present
Zimbabwe.

B- Legal and Parliamentary Affairs- is a module designed to have an awareness of

Zimbabwe’s legal system, statutes and how these affect their existence as citizens.

C- International relations- is a module designed to enable students to have an

understanding of the effects of International Relations and to effectively articulate Global
issues and make a critical analysis of the role of International Organisations or institutions.

PRE-COLONIAL HISTORY

(a). The Great Zimbabwe State

- it means the ‘’House of stones”

- it was the most powerful before the 14th century, which is 1500.

- it could raise an Army and forces the payment of tribute and was involved in international
relations.

-the State was built by a group of people known as the Shona people who had much wealth in
the form of livestock.

-the stone capital became known as the Great Zimbabwe, which became the centre of social,
political, economical and religious.

-the king was called the Mambo

Purpose of the stone structure
-the stone structure was used for different purposes such as:
 Security
 Religion
 Prestige monument
 Occupy slave labour
Social and political organisations
- the Great Zimbabwe rulers exercised power to a number of chiefdoms that paid tribute to
the Mambo at Great Zimbabwe.
-other chiefdoms may have been independent but connect through marriage and trade.
-the ruling class controlled the trade.

Causes / Decline or Collapse of the Great Zimbabwe State

-the State had become overpopulated leading to a shortage of resources.
-there was increased emigration.
-shortages of resources, that is salt, civil wars, declining soil fertility and some dispute that
Nyatsimba Mutota left Great Zimbabwe because he had failed to become apparent heir to
throne after his father’s death.
-since he felt aggrieved, he decided to leave to leave Great Zimbabwe and headed north and
formed the Mutapa State.
THE MUTAPA STATE
-was founded by Nyatsimba Mutota who left Great Zimbabwe in search of salt or after a
succession dispute according to oral history.

-before the succession dispute, King Chibatamatosi, Mutota’s father had ordered Mutota to
find salt.

- Prince Mutota travelled north leading a large Army.

-Mutota went to the Zambezi Valley where he defeated some weak communities who were
already settled there such as the Tavara or the Dzivaguru people.

-as a result of his conquest of the weak tribes, Mutota earned the title “Munhumutapa” a
praise name, which means Lord of Conquering.
-he built his capital a “ Zimbabwe” on the slope of Chikato Hill near the Utete River.

-part of this Zimbabwe remains to this day at the bottom of the escapement north of Guruve.
Mutota formed an alliance with the Tavara High Priest, Dzivaguru.

-upon the death of Mutota, his, son, Nyanhehwe Matope took over and co-ruled with his half
sister Nyamhita who occupied the district of Handa hence she is often referred to as
Nyamhita Nehanda.

Mutapa language and Customs

-the people had the same Shona language, customs and culture similar to the peoples of the
Great Zimbabwe State.

-they believed in a god whom they called ‘Mwari” who is claimed to have spoken through the
spirits of the ancestors.

- they listened carefully to spirit mediums, that is the Mondoros.

- Religious ceremonies were held to honour the spirit mediums where music dancing and
feasting occurred (bira).

-the senior spirit mediums were Dzivaguru in the northeast, Nehanda in the central and
Chaminuka in the west.

-the cultural level of the society was closely knit with the family being the nucleus of the
society as well as being the foundation of the nation.

-the basis of this arrangement was a high degree of morality with little or no crime, few cases
of starvation, zero delinquency, no prostitution, very minor cases of divorce and almost all
known present day social ills being unknown.

-the law was highly developed to deal with cultural issues and less defined in terms of
commerce. Criminals or murderers were even rehabilitated with the law seeking to reconcile
the injured and the culprit and hence compensate the victim or his relatives in the case of
murder.

The Mutapa Economy

-it was centred or premised around the following activities, that is;

 Trade
 Mining
 Hunting
 Tribute system
Mutapa political structure

-the king or Mambo led the State; they had many advisors to govern the State.

-some of the kings’ wives were also officials, greeting visitors and handling their business.

- also members of his royal court became very powerful.

-Munhumutapa, his wives and officials wore expensive jewellery and clothes made from
cotton and silk.

-most people wore skin aprons.

-a large Army was maintained which travelled long distance, patrolling and collecting taxes
and cattle and brought new communities into the empire.

THE ROZVI STATE

Founded by Changamire Dombo in 1634.

-the State arose from the plundered wealth by the Rozvi under Changamire Dombo (1634)
and is believed to be having been a powerful ruler.

-he was very wealthy and claimed that; that his father was a Mwari and his mother a virgin. -
the Rozvi state capital was at Thabazikamambo near Bulawayo.

-by 1680 he was at his peak and his state was spread between the Zambezi and the Limpopo
rivers and even into areas like Mozambique such as the Sena.

-the Rozwi Changamire received tribute from smaller chiefs.

-by 1830-1860 the State existed by name only.

Decline and collapse of the State

The collapse of the Rozvi State was a result of Mfecane or “ time of trouble” caused by
Nguni tribes who had fled from Tshaka’s reign..
-Zwangendaba crossed the limpopo with his group and fought the Rozvi ruler Chirisamuru.
---the State was further weakened when Kololo Sebitwane in 1836 fought and defeated the
Rozvi.

-Mzilikazi turned west into Gaza and then north with his group and finished the remnants of
the Rozvi State between 1837-1840.

THE NDEBELE STATE

-the Ndebele State was a product of the Mfecane and was founded by Mzilikazi.

-the Ndebele state;s capital was established at Ndabazinduna in Bulawayo upon arrival in
Zimbabwe.

-Mzilikazi was of the Khumalo tribe and he crossed into Zimbabwe after he had revolted
against Tshaka in the Zulu land.

The Ndebele Economic Systems

-the Ndebele economic structure or system was centred around activities such as;

 Raiding
 Pastoralism/ Cattle ranching
 Cultivation
 Tribute system
 Trade

-However Raiding was a major economic activity in Ndebele state.

Ndebele Social System

-at Bulawayo the Ndebele State became divided into three social strata.

-the State had a caste system, which kept each group separate from the other.
-intermarriage was not allowed to ensure purity especially of the highest clans.

-each group had specific socio-economic roles commensurate with its social level and
political power.

-on the top of the strata was the Zansi/ Abezansi class, that was the class that had come from
Zululand with Mzilikazi.

-the Abezansi were the aristocracy of the society.

-the 2nd group was the Enhla class who comprised of the comprised of the Sotho and the
Tswana tribe who had absorbed by Mzilikazi before crossing the Limpopo into Zimbabwe.

-the last group was called the Amahole or the Hole which composed of the Shona and the
Karanga tribe.

-infact this was the least group in the Ndebele caste system.

-it was also regarded as the servant class in the Ndebele caste system.

Ndebele Political System

-the Ndebele State had a centralised political system.

-all power vested on the king who ruled the State with a complex network of Indunas
(chiefs), enforced his power and maintained peace and order through a powerful military
marline.

-the King was top most figure with absolute power. He raised the amabhuto (soldiers),
co-ordinated military strategy, distributed captives and cattle, allocated land, got rid of
opponents, called on the ancestors for rain and organised and oversaw the annual inxwala
(first fruits) ceremonies.

-was the Commander in General of the forces, the Chief Judge and Chief Priest and had
power over life and death of his subjects.

-his decision was final.

-the King however ruled with the help of an advisory Council.

-the Council was divided into two Houses, the Mphakhathi and iZikhulu.

-the Umphakhathi was the higher body consisting of selected and trusted indunas.

-it discussed more delicate issues affecting the State thus is would sat in judgement and
discussed relations with foreigners.

-however, the King was powerful enough to dominate the Mphakhathi.

-the second much lower House was the iZikhulu.

-this constituted all other chiefs and men of Great wisdom and thus was a much large House.

-it however discussed general issues affecting the State.

1. Discuss any five(5) similarities that existed in the pre-colonial states

. -the pre-colonial states are the Great Zimbabwe (500BC), the Mutapa empire (1400AD), the
Rozvi state and the Ndebele state.

-these states have more or less the same similarities in terms of their:

 Economic structure
 Political organization and
 Social activities thus oral, archaeological and documentary evidence have been used
to unveil these activities.

Political structure

(a) Democracy
-in these state, democracy prevailed.
-The King ruled with the assistance of advisors eg chiefs, headman and village leaders
helped govern the state.
-the King was the supreme leader of the state who would preside over important
ceremonies eg rain making, appeasing the ancestors etc.
-in certain instances, the King had the final decision eg in matters of war, in cases of
murder, on land disputes etc.
 However in the Ndebele kingdom, democracy was more evident with the
existence of the king’s advisory council such as the Mphakati (the Khumalo
chiefs) and the Izinkulu (incorporated rulers).
 the class structure ( the Enhla - which was made up of the pure Khumalo
tribe, the Zansi – which comprised of moderate Ndebeles and the Amahole –
c0mmonly refered to as the the Hole comprising of the incorporated tribes
from the defeated states respected the democratic system he existed in the
state.
(b) Elections
-this was also the measure of democracy but was a symbol which was exhibited
during the succession of a new King which was hereditary.
- everyone in the state abided the this hereditary succession set up which was done
without confict.

(c) Army

-all the pre colonial had armies that were used for the defence of the state in times on
an invasion, used for the provision of security and ensure peace to the inhabitants,
participated in collecting tribute in form of grain or cattle on behalf of the king.
 However in the Ndebele state, the was also used to raid the Shona people and take
away the loot to the king.

(d) Sovereignty
- each state had rights to self determination without foreign interference.
- Thus the day today running of the state was done by the king and his council of
advisors.
- Also each state was involved in international relations meaning that there was
interaction the other states through the 3Cs eg the Mutapa state traded with the
Portuguese exchanging with each other with gold, grain, ivory in return for cloth,
jewellery, beads, sugar and bracelets.

(e) Constitution
-all societies upheld and abided by the supreme laws of the state as enunciated by the
king.

(f) Religious values

- Everyone believed in the ancestral spirits ( maSvikiro) guidance and the also
believed in Mwari/ Musikavanhu.
2. Describe the level of development in pre-colonial states in the following areas?

(a) Medicines
-herbs were used to cure various forms of diseases eg use of roots, leaves, bark of
such trees like murumanyama, mubvamaropa, muvengahonye, muzeze, mudhorofiya
e.t.c.
 -ate nutritional foods like small grains and fruits like maroro, mahanje, chakata,
mapfura, hute, shumha, tsokotsiyana and as well as various tubers.
-herbs were medicinal and helped in decimating diseases, certain ailments and
infections amongst the people.

(b) Metallurgy/ Mining

-discovery of minerals ore such as iron, copper and gold.
- extraction and separation of minerals to distinct types such as iron. Copper or pure
gold.
-designing furnaces eg forge and hammer ( Mvuto) for smelting the mineral ore.
-blacksmithing the extracted ore into farming implements (mapadza/hoes, axes,
mbezo, hunting spears, arrows, knives, makano tools for both agriculture, hunting and
warfare use.

(c). Agriculture

- they practiced subsistence farming where they grew crops such as sorghum, millet,
maize or rapoko.
-millet or rapoko was also used for brewing beer and it a medicinal value.
- they also grew drought resistant crops such as rapoko, sorghum or millet especially
in the Ndebele state.
- they also practiced animal husbandry/ cattle ranching (pastoralism) as witnessed by
the large herds of cattle they reared.

(c) Architecture
-they were skilled architecturers as witnessed by the bonding of granite boulders
(stones) at Great Zimbabwe, Khami and Matopos ruins.
-the cutting of granite blocks into squares during the construction of the ruins.
- construction of non cement structures is a sign of freat architectural skill.
- the magnificent design of the Great Zimbabwe structure.
-also the gaining of the Great Zimbabwe structure as a World Heritage status long
after its erection.

(d) Education
- Education was social and had a cultural syllabus.
- Children were taught through folktales such as ngano, dare gathering and through
elders.
- Girls were taught by vana tete and vana ambuya about womanhood duties and
boys through vana sekuru for manhood duties.