adminTRADITIONAL leaders play an important role in the way Zimbabwe is run or governed.
This explains why in our new Constitution the roles played by chiefs have been clearly defined. As community leaders, they unite communities and rule in a manner that puts forward community goals as well as preserve traditional norms and values.
To this end, Government has invested heavily to ensure that our traditional leaders have the resources to carry out their mandate well.
Elsewhere in this issue, we carry a disturbing story on wrangles involving the Mutambara chieftainship, which cropped soon after the passing on of Chief John Godfrey Mutambara on October 21 last year.
Although details of the nature of the wrangles are still sketchy, an incident that happened on Tuesday at the Mutambara court in Chimanimani speaks volumes about the alleged deep-rooted troubles rocking the clan.
In broad daylight, the wife of the late chief – Alice – clashed with former Deputy Prime Minister Professor Arthur Mutambara, accusing him of not naming and shaming his relatives who allegedly killed her husband in order to take his position.
Her argument was that following the death of the chief, the Mutambara people visited a traditional healer, as per practice, seeking answers to what happened to the deceased.
After that traditional rite, she said Prof Mutambara confided in her that the traditional healer told them that her husband was killed by his own people who are fighting for the chieftainship.
Inasmuch as we don’t rely on evidence and revelations from sangomas, it is foolhardy for us to believe that all is well in Mutambara.
When families fight for the post, it is the ordinary villagers who will suffer because there will be no one to lead them.
What it means is that instead of executing their normal duties of superintending over their subjects, those left in acting capacities will be waging personal wars against their adversaries.
This does not only lead to fights, for it will also leave the clan to the chieftainship heavily segmented.
In Manicaland, we have quite a number of acting chiefs because of these wrangles, some of which have gone to the High Court for redress.
More often than not, areas with no substantive chiefs always lack in terms of community development.
We urge the responsible ministry to clearly spell out how the chieftainship baton stick is supposed to move from one family to the other and do away with rogue elements, oftentimes coming up with their own interpretations.
This kind of information must be made public so that subjects are in the picture as to who is going to lead them in the event of the incumbent passing on.
When that happens, wrangles that are based on greed and self aggrandisement are minimised and communities will be served better.
The Mutambara community, which falls under Chimanimani District, is fast developing on the strength of good rains and well-networked irrigation systems.
It is our hope that these wrangles that are starting to crop up will be nipped in the bud before they divide the community heavily and negatively impact on development.
Government must move forward and appoint a substantive chief before it’s too late because vultures will always be hovering above to feast of dead carcasses.
Online Reporter