adminZAKA District Administrator Mr Tapson Chivanga has been asked to explain the installation of Headman Chamburikira which he is alleged to have done alone without the involvement of Chief Nhema whose area the headman falls under among other charges such as dethroning and installing village heads willy-nilly without consultation.
The charges come amid allegations of corruption where the district administrator is said to be advancing certain political agendas and is reported to be purging those not politically aligned to his real or imagined political affiliations.
In an interview on the issue Provincial Administrator for Masvingo Mr Felix Chikovo confirmed the charges saying his office was dealing with the issue.
He said his office had since undone all the appointments that were made by the district administrator after it noted the irregularities in the processes.
“It is true that there are some irregularities on the appointments made by the district administrator Mr Chivanga. He seemed to have installed headman Chamburukira without consultations and we wonder what criteria he employed.
“Chief Nhema whose area the headman falls under was not consulted either. He (Chief Nhema) raised the issue with us and we noted the irregularities and we asked him to explain himself and the processes he went through to come out with the person to the office. As far as we are concerned therefore, all that he did is null and void until the due processes are followed,” said Mr Chikovo.
He added that his office had asked the district administrator and Chief Nhema to set a date where they would sit down with all the eligible families so that they choose an appropriate representative.
They have not yet done that.
Asked to comment on the allegations of corruption and of the district administrator trying to align himself with traditional leaders of certain political outfits, Mr Chikovo said he was not worried about affiliations but that the due processes were followed and that the persons deserving were not deprived.
He said what was clear was that the district administrator had a problem of flexing too much of his muscle and doing things without following laid down rules of installation. “There are reports that he also dethroned two village heads.
We are not sure why but we heard he did it alone without the chief’s knowledge and we said we will not recognise the dethronement, neither will we recognise those that he had chosen and installed as replacements.
“We are waiting for his report on the installation of headman Chamburukira and the dethronement of the two village heads from where we will act accordingly. The institution of chieftainship is not part of the playground politics. You do not just wake up and say I no longer want this person and I am replacing him with this one, there is a lot involved,” said Mr Chikovo who added that attention to detail on agreed succession traditions had to be followed closely.
Mr Chivanga had recommended Mr Paul Deke to be the headman but Mr Chikovo said he would not recognise him as long as the process was done without Chief Nhema’s input and ordered it to be redone with all eligible family members present and consenting to it before submitting the name to the provincial office.
Bongani Ndlovu