i4o AFRICAN POLITICAL SYSTEMS
men of power and importance and would sometimes rebel against the king. Another class of abakungu consisted of entuma, or tribute collectors. Whenever the Mugabe needed extra cattle, it was the duty of the entuma to go to every cattle-owner, select a number of cattle and take them to the Mugabe's kraal. The Bairu do not make distinctions between the abatware and the entuma, but call them all abakungu, the reason being that all the Mugabe's officers were just tax collectors to the peasants.
Another important class of individuals involved in the management of the State was the king's relatives known as the abanyi-gyinye. As will become clear later, these relatives were almost always relatives of his mother's side. The king's mother's brothers, who helped the king to secure the Mugabeship, were later given positions as military leaders, and the sons of these men became members of the abagaragwa. The king's barimi (mother's brothers) had the same status in the State as the king's mother and sister. They were permitted to collect tribute from the Bairu and to demand cattle from the Bahima without the king's permission. The members of the king's ekyika (sub-clan) were given special status, if they had supported the Mugabe in the accession war; otherwise they were treated as ordinary Bahima. One of our nearest neighbours was the son of the present Mugabe's brother, who claims that he was too young to be involved in the accession war. To-day he is just an ordinary herdsman in possession of a small herd and in no way distinguishable from the average Muhima kraalsman. He stated that he had no right to demand chieftainship or other offices and privileges, as his relatives had not supported the Mugabe at the time of his accession. On the other hand, the Mugabe supported the wives of his father's brothers and those of his own brothers after these men had been either killed or driven into exile.
Besides these individuals who were directly concerned with the management of the State, the Mugabe had a large following of wives, guards, magicians, and servants, who formed the permanent membership of his kraal. This kraal or residence was known as the orurembo and was made up of a number of enclosures. Like other Bahima, the Mugabe moved about the country. His movements were partly determined by the needs of his herd and partly by magical considerations. If he were in poor health, the diviners might decide that he must go to one or other of the sacred places in