Chief Jahana laid to rest

Chief Jahana, born Solomon Khumalo, died at the age of 74 after succumbing to blood pressure related complications while on admission at Premier Hospital in Hillside, Bulawayo.
The death of Chief Jahana came barely a year after he together with more than 8 000 of his subjects were relocated to their traditional roots in Matabeleland South after spending decades in Gokwe.
A sombre atmosphere engulfed the late traditional leader’s old homestead with about 1 000 mourners from Matabeleland South and Midlands provinces gathered to pay their last respects to Chief Jahana.
Matabeleland South Governor, Angelina Masuku, Member of Parliament for Insiza, Andrew Langa and acting Provincial Administrator for Matabeleland South, Mr Midard Khumalo, led a team of mourners from Matabeleland South while Midlands Governor, Jason Machaya was among hundreds of mourners from the Midlands province.
In her graveside eulogy, Governor Masuku described the death of Chief Jahana as a great loss to the people of Matabeleland South.
“The death of Chief Jahana came as a shock and great loss, not only to the people of Insiza, but Matabeleland South as a whole. We had just welcomed Chief Jahana from back to his traditional roots only to lose him in a very short space of time. It’s so disheartening,” she said.
Governor Masuku described the late Chief Jahana as a man of people and a unifier.
“With only a very short period in Insiza, Chief Jahana has been busy working on bringing people in his area together and he has been a peace loving man, a custodian of the Ndebele tradition,” she said.
Governor Masuku said she hoped Government will soon appoint Chief Jahana’s successor to instill hope in the people of Insiza.
“While it is very hard to find someone who will fill the void that has been left by the chief, we find solace in that in the Ndebele tradition, the lineage for chieftainship is so simple that the eldest son takes over after the death of his father. We hope Government will appoint a new chief for the Insiza people,” she said.
Governor Machaya also spoke highly of Chief Jahana whom he described as a personal friend.
“I knew Chief Jahana when I was still working at the then Cheziya Rural District Council about 32 years ago. He has been a very nice person and was my brother,” he said.
Governor Machaya said Chief Jahana was the first traditional leader to represent chiefs from the Midlands province in Parliament.
“When it was discussed that he should relocate to Matabeleland South, many people in the Midlands were shocked because we loved him here. We then said we cannot argue against someone’s origin and we then agreed that he move to his birth place which is Insiza in Matabeleland South,” he said.
Cde Langa who also echoed the two governors’ sentiments said the death of Chief Jahana robbed the people of Insiza and Matabeleland region of a great traditional leader.
“He was a mature and peace loving leader who would always talk about development. The reason why hundreds of people have gathered here today to pay their last respects to Chief Jahana speaks volumes of his person,” he said.
Deputy President of the Chiefs Council, Chief Ngungumbane who also attended the burial ceremony, described the death of Chief Jahana as a sad loss.
Chief Jahana who was a widower is survived by nine children.