-Ancient secrets, royal betrayal, and Shumba legacy unravelled in Bonda’s latest novel
By Johannes Mike Mupisa
MWENEZI-From the heart of Mwenezi’s dry lands emerges yet another literary firestorm as local writer and police officer Honest Bonda returns with his second novel-a powerful historical epic that thrusts readers into the forgotten grandeur of ancient African kingdoms.
Titled Ushe hwaChirongedze Hwakaendepi, Bonda’s latest offering takes readers on a thrilling journey through time, tracing the origins of the Shumba clan in a tale brimming with intrigue, royalty, betrayal, and the pulse of African civilization. At the center of it all? The majestic Great Zimbabwe — reimagined not just as ruins, but as the nerve center of a once-mighty empire.
Far from the dusty theories of early European archaeologists who attributed the stone city’s glory to outsiders like the Phoenicians, Bonda’s novel fiercely anchors Great Zimbabwe as the proud creation of indigenous Africans — a claim now backed by growing scholarly consensus.
Through the eyes of Chief Chirongedze of the Vaera Shumba Murambwi, the story breathes life into a forgotten legacy. The Shumba, once rulers in a land of milk and honey, are traced from their seat of power at Great Zimbabwe to Mutoko, and eventually to Chivi. There, betrayal brews as Chivunguvungu — exiled for a scandalous affair with his father’s wife — reclaims honor and identity under the name Murambwi.
The tale follows his descendants, led by the tenacious Tavengegwei (Mudzungairi), as they settle in Nyaningwe, weaving a compelling narrative of the origins of modern clans such as the Matsverus, Bondas, Takavarashas, and Masundas.
Bonda, who by day serves with the Ministry of Home Affairs, is no stranger to storytelling. His debut novel, Misodzi yekutsvaka Machikichori, chronicled his own emotional journey from orphanhood under the care of Pastor Chigohi at Masogwe Orphanage to rising through adversity and earning accolades as both a law enforcer and academic.
With his latest work, Bonda cements his place as one of Mwenezi’s literary torchbearers — a voice reviving Zimbabwe’s ancient stories and restoring African pride one page at a time.
Expect drama. Expect heritage. Expect goose bumps.
This is not just a novel. Its history retold — through the eyes of its own bloodline.
