Chiefs’ wives go sightseeing

 

The chiefs’ wives, who were more than 200, were accompanied by Government officials to the historical and cultural world heritage site, courtesy of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development.
Speaking to Chronicle before the chiefs’ wives took off yesterday, the president of the Chiefs Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, said the chiefs’ wives came to Bulawayo with their husbands so that they could understand their husbands’ roles and support them.

He said the trip to Matopo National Park would make them understand the country’s   history.
“The chiefs’ wives are here to support their husbands who have enormous responsibilities in their communities and the country as a whole. But we decided that while the chiefs discuss important issues at the conference, their wives could go out and see places of historical significance and appreciate the history of the country,” said Chief Charumbira.

“As chiefs wives, they have to know some of these places and link them with the historical challenges faced by their husbands. The trip to Matopos is also meant to make them understand the future of the country better.”
Mrs Priscilla Charumbira, Chief Charumbira’s wife, said the conference was one of the  few chances where the chiefs’ wives could get together and also take some time off their busy schedules.

“Most of these women spend their time at their homes doing household chores on a daily basis. They have never visited some of these historical places and this is the only chance.
“We commend the Government for inviting us to the chiefs’ conference because we have also managed to mix, mingle and share ideas as chiefs’ wives,” said Mrs Charumbira.

The wife of Chief Nyamande of Gutu applauded the Government for coming up with the noble           idea.
“We are very happy about the idea and I would like to commend the Government for giving us the chance to visit this place. All along our husbands were attending the chiefs’ conferences without us.

“We have been reading about such places in the books and we thank the Government for giving us the chance to visit Matopo National Park. Our husbands rarely think about taking us to such places yet it is important for us to visit them,” said Mrs Nyamande.
She said their coming to the conference this year would also make them understand their husbands’ roles as they got the chance to attend some of the sessions at the conference.

However, Mrs Nhema, the wife of Chief Nhema from Shurugwi, said she was disturbed by the sight of Cecil John Rhodes’ grave, saying it reminded her of the colonial era when colonialists brutally murdered the sons and daughters of Zimbabwe for their own land.

“I am glad to be here but I was touched when I saw some graves belonging to whites. I know they are part of our history but they reminded me of the sons and daughters of this country who lost their lives during the liberation struggle.
“Most people lost their relatives, cattle and other valuable properties which they could never replace,” said Mrs Nhema.