Mwanaleza
| Author | A. Stephenson |
| Published date | 01 January 1930 |
| Date | 01 January 1930 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X3000300111 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Mwanaleza
By
LIEUT.-COLONEL
A.
STEPHENSON
The
Northern
Rhodesia Police
THE story of Torno Ulwa Nyirenda, who became known
throughout the southern portion of Africa as Mwanaleza
-the
child of
God-is
of some interest in
that
Torno murdered
or instigated the murders of some
hundred
or more people in
the
course of a very few months.
To
the
student of native life
and customs
the
case is of perhaps greater interest as it shows
only too clearly
that
the
teachings of civilization amongst some
African tribes has had little or no real influence in some cases
upon their customs and habits.
For
an appreciation of
the
case of Mwanaleza it is desir-
able something should be outlined of one of
the
native religious
movements in
Northern
Rhodesia
and
neighbouring states.
Some years ago a movement known as
the'
Watch
Tower'
Society was started in Nyasaland and it attracted aconsiderable
number of adherents.
This'
Church'
appears, at first, to have
been conducted on proper lines by its native leaders
and
its
teachings were not subversive:
but,
later, some of its followers
broke away from
the
original body and set up a church of their
own which, in
the
guise of religion, became a school for anti-
white propaganda
and
the furtherance of native superstitions
The
name'
Watch
Tower'
was retained by these unauthorized
teachers and is now commonly used for practically all classes
of unofficial (native) bodies who indulge in a form of religion
which may have some relation to Christianity
but
which is
permeated with a very strong admixture of native custom and
licence.
The'
Watch
Tower'
has no official head in Northern
Rhodesia,
but
its teachings are rather advanced for semi-
educated natives and, by careful misuse, a clever native can
read into them much
that
probably was not intended by
the
III
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