The royal ancestor spirit medium of Makopa and the 2008 presidential run-off elections in Chipinge, south-east Zimbabwe

Abstract

Drawing on both primary and secondary data, this paper sets out to demonstrate that spirit mediums have a role to play in democratisation processes based on a case study from Ngaone, Chipinge - South East Zimbabwe. The aim of this account is to examine the relationship between ecstatic religion and politics in Zimbabwe in the context of  democratisation as well as how the relationship between war veterans and traditional leadership changed over time. Using insights from political anthropology, this author argues that ecstatic religion play a significant role in democratic struggles. Spirit  mediums significantly influenced political processes both during the colonial and  post-colonial epochs in Zimbabwe as both instruments and actors. It was the medium of Makopa who prevented war veterans from setting up torture bases in Ngaone in Mutema Chieftaincy, a development that stopped political violence against opposition  supporters in and around Chipinge district. This study concludes that the medium of Makopa positively contributed towards democracy and nation building using the idiom of spirit possession.

Key words: Traditional religion, spirit medium, possession, democracy, hegemony