Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
CHIEF Mataga (85) of Mberengwa District who died on Sunday will be buried today at his homestead.
Chief Mataga, born Malaini Nkomo, died while being attended to at Musume Hospital in Mberengwa District.
Midlands provincial chief’s council chairperson, Chief Ngungumbane, confirmed the passing on of Chief Mataga in an interview yesterday.
“We have learned with great sorrow and shock on the passing on of Chief Mataga of Mberengwa District. He died on Sunday morning while being attended by nurses at the outpatient ward at Musume Hospital,” he said.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, his community, and the institution of traditional leadership at large.”
Chief Ngungumbane said Chief Mataga was among the rare breed of traditional leaders who are over 80 years old.
“Chief Mataga was an epitome of wisdom, he was our elder, a mountain of wisdom and we were always consulting him time and again for advice to make Mberengwa District great,” he said.
Mourners are gathered at his home at Mataga Growth Point. Chief Ngungumbane said the respected traditional leader had been ill for quite some time.
“Yes, he was ill, but nobody expected his untimely death. He had problems with his leg, which was a complication of diabetes,” he said.
According to Chief Ngungumbane, Chief Mataga was appointed substantive chief on November 19, 2007.
“He served as chief for 18 years and will be buried tomorrow at his homestead in Mberengwa,” he said.
Mberengwa District Development Co-ordinator Mr Vafios Hlabati said the chief mourner during the burial of Chief Mataga will be the Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube.
“We are gathered at his homestead at Mataga Growth Point waiting for his burial tomorrow (today) at his homestead. We expect the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube to be in attendance,” he said.
Mr Hlabati said Chief Mataga is survived by eight children and 16 grandchildren.
Mr Xavier Mudangwe, director of Centre for Conflict Management and Transformation (CCMT) said they worked well with Chief Mataga who spearheaded the development of Mataga area into a growth point.
“Chief Mataga was a leader par-excellence and we worked with him well as CCMT. The development taking place at Mataga is because of the late chief who managed to bring villagers Mberengwa Rural Development Council and other stakeholders together for development. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
