The importance of cattle in the Rozvi and Mutapa states

• Cattle were at the center of every family’s wealth in both the Mutapa and Rozvi kingdoms.
• They had various uses including:
• Being a symbol of wealth and power.
• They were used to bay the bride’s price (lobola/roora)
• They were used as draught power.
• They were used to make sacrifices during religious ceremonies
• They were used in trade as exchange items.
• They acted as an insurance against droughts.

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