Did you know that Shava is a totem name variant of Mhofu/Mpofu, which is the name of the Eland that is common in Southern Africa. The meanings attached to Shava include the fairness of the coat, resembling the colours of the Eland, or becoming self-sufficient such as by hunting or fishing (Kushava).
In their praise poetry they use terms such as Mhofuyemukono (the bull eland) and Mhukahuru (the large beast). All descendants of Mbiru share the same totem of Shava, but some changed to various Chidawos over time (praise name in parentheses) to hide from their enemies.
Shava is associated with the Vahera tribe, descendants of Mbiru, who lived at Gombe Hill in present-day Buhera, East of Zimbabwe. The Vahera are Shona, a collective name of many tribes who live in present-day Zimbabwe before Mzilikazi settled there with the Ndebele people. The Ndebele use the name Mpofu in Matabeleland. The Vahera people claim that they came from Guruuswa, an area North of the Zambezi river, in Uganda and Sudan. Another claim is that they entered Zimbabwe via Mozambique, where some of their daughters had bred with the foreign traders along the coast, resulting in the light brown skin tone. That light brown is called shava in Shona.
Buhera is an English corruption of the word Vahera, which means the Hera people.
The Shava people are known for being mild mannered and kind.
9 comments
Proudly Chihera
I’m proud of my totem
Mhofu yemukono, musiyamwa
I need to know more about where as Mhofu we actually came from and maybe I can able to trace back my family. It’s good to know your roots