By Jane Mlambo| Following widespread ridicule and mockery of the Mbuya Nehanda statue as a wrong depiction of the first Chimurenga heroine, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has given in to pressure and ordered that the bronze sculpture be re-done.

After pictures of the statue made rounds on social media, Zimbabweans did not waste time to dismiss it as a mockery to the legendary heroine with some saying she didn’t have the figure and bust depicted by sculptor, David Mutasa.

Now President Mnangagwa has rejected the statue for its youthfulness which he said should be replaced by a wrinkle and old mbuya Nehanda as widely portrayed in her pictures.

“When we have that kind of artistic production there are key features which must ensure that onlookers immediately connect with the production and one key feature has to do with the physical appearance of the real-life figure you are talking about so the President immediately reacted he wanted to understand why artistically VaMutasa had decided to make Nehanda look a lot more youthful.

“Then it emerged that the reality is that VaMutasa had in fact done something that approximated Nehanda in life but the authorities at the monuments and museums were of the different view they thought the artistic production must convey and communicate vigour, permanence, the youthfulness of the spirit which Nehanda incarnates or personifies so they then suggested that Nehanda be made a lot younger to suggest that buoyancy which they wanted to communicate to the onlooker.

“The President didn’t agree and as it turns out that youthful face of Nehanda will be put away and will have a Nehanda who is closer to how the good lady looked in real life which means a lot more wrinkled well past middle-aged but of course showing the strength and stresses of captivity,” said Charamba.