adminMidlands Correspondent
THE Chiwundura chieftaincy wrangle is escalating. The fight for the chief’s crown has seen six families with a claim to the chieftainship openly trading insults. Family members have been at each other’s throats ever since the death of the last substantive chief who died when he was in his late 80s about three years ago.
Bulawayo-based Zebedia Tagwire has been acting chief but his term expired last year.
A meeting to iron out sticking issues was called by Gweru District Administrator, Shepherd Marwei but abandoned at the weekend after some of the family members turned violent and threatened to beat up the DA.
Sources who attended the meeting said Marwei who was presiding over the meeting had to run for dear life after some of the members turned violent, poking each other while threatening to beat up Marwei for allegedly imposing a candidate to take over the chieftainship.
“The Chiwundura family members were incensed by DA Marwei’s move to try and impose a candidate for the chieftainship. During the meeting, some of the family members then started hurling insults at him while others threatened to beat him up,” said the source.
The source said Marwei left in a huff leaving the meeting unconcluded and drove back to Gweru after emotions ran high.
“The Chiwundura family members followed Marwei to Gweru in one of the family members’ car. He (Marwei) was forced to stop at the DA’s offices in Gweru before he addressed the group,” said the source.
Marwei confirmed the development.
Said Marwei yesterday: “We could not conclude the meeting which was supposed to iron out the issues surrounding the Chief Chiwundura chieftaincy as some of the family members became violent.
I have since advised the families who are disputing the candidate which was brought forward to our offices to state their grievances in writing and forward them to the Provincial Administrator (Cecilia Chitiyo).”
A representative of one of the families eying the chieftainship, John Chiwundura, accused Marwei of trying to abandon the hereditary system they have been using in the appointment of a new chief.
“As the families involved we are agreeing on the right candidate to take over the Chief Chiwundura chieftaincy. The problem is the DA’s office has since connived with one of the families involved and they now want to impose a candidate for us. We say no to such behaviour. We will contest this up to the highest office. According to the hereditary system which we have been using all along, it is clear who should take over the chieftaincy,” he said.
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