Mukudzei Chingwere — Indian-based cleric Father Arnaldo Pinho yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa, with the two discussing the role of religion in shaping nationhood and also agreeing to take the lead in detailing and recording the history of Zimbabwe's great Munhumutapa empire.
Father Pinho is a diocesan priest of Goa -- a Roman Catholic Church in Western India -- where a descendant of the great Emperor Munhumutapa was once a priest and whose remains are buried there.
Prince Mapezeni, known as Father Miguel in the Roman Catholic circles, was a descendant of Emperor Munhumutapa and a former priest of Goa.
As part of its national identity, Zimbabwe is in the process of detailing and recording its history from as far back as the 16th century reign of Munhumutapa.
The Kingdom of Mutapa, also known as Munhumutapa, was an ancient African kingdom from which Zimbabwe originated.
At its peak, it expanded to present-day Mozambique.
"We came at the invitation of the Honourable Vice President (Dr Constantino Chiwenga), who visited Goa sometime early this year," said Father Pinho.
"One of the sons of the late Emperor (Munhumutapa) worked in Goa as a priest and he was named Father Miguel.
"He was of the Dominican Order and he worked at the parish where I am currently serving as the priest. This happened in the late 16th century.
"We are currently in the process of anointing the tomb which has the remains of Father Miguel because Father Miguel served as the parish priest of that place."
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He said there were only two churches dedicated to Santa Barbara in the whole world, one in Goa and the other in Kariba, Zimbabwe.
"I will be visiting Kariba before I leave. It's on my itinerary. We had a nice chat with the President and we exchanged pleasantries of the history that has gone by and the President was very happy to know that his own forefathers made a remarkable contribution to society at large," said Father Pinho.
After visiting Father Pinho's parish, VP Chiwenga invited the church leadership to see President Mnangagwa, a gesture which would give impetus to the recording of the Great Munhumutapa history.
Speaking after the meeting, VP Chiwenga said Zimbabwe is in the process of tracing and recording its history, with the recording of the Great Munhumutapa having gotten fresh impetus.
"When I was in India, I visited the church in Goa and during that visit I invited Father Pinho to come and see the President so that we can trace and detail our history.
"We are tracing this history and we have managed to establish that Prince Mapezeni was a descendant of the Great Munhumutapa," said VP Chiwenga.
Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri also attended the meeting.
Zimbabwe has been at the forefront of recording its history and has established the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) -- a think-tank whose mandate is to research and disseminate knowledge about Africa and African people.
President Mnangagwa has also been at the forefront of championing the recording of Zimbabwean history during the arduous war of liberation.
