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SCORCHING heat, drought and hunger are the order of the day for the Katerere people in Nyanga. People roam the mountains scavenging for gold in order to earn a living. But the most eerie thing about the small Katerere community is the thing you can’t see, the chieftainship wrangle that has spanned nearly half a century. Last Tuesday over a hundred elderly men and women had to briefly abandon their chores to find ways to solve the chieftainship wrangle which has haunted them for years now. They convened at the Nyanga District Administrator’s Office for a purported meeting to finalise the matter.
The villagers are claiming that the current Chief Katerere is a “nephew” to the Katerere clan and not eligible for the throne. They argued that his mother is the one with the Hwesa blood in her.
The man whom they claim should be the heir of the throne is Mr Chinake Mutseta, who has since relocated to Katerere from Harare after experiencing a series of mysterious happenings everywhere he goes.
“I used to stay in Mutoko under Chief Nyakuchena and what I experienced from 2008 was spine-chilling. I used to hear a hissing sound in my house, but could not detect its source. I only discovered the source after five years. To my shock, it was a black mamba snake coiled in a bag and I killed it. Later that year my house was mysteriously destroyed by a whirlwind. I built another one a few metres from the original house and it was destroyed again.
“I packed my belongings and left for Harare where I built another house and the same mishap happened again. I then sought divine intervention from prophets and traditionalists who made it clear to me that the source of my misfortunes was my ancestors calling me back home to lead the Katereres.
“Armed with a letter from Headman Mukosi chronicling the misfortunes which hit me when I was still his subject in Mutoko, I approached the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing where I was referred to Nyanga DA’s Office,” said Mr Mutseta.
Part of the letter from Headman Mukosi which The Manica Post has in its possession reads: “Murume uyu anonzi Chinake Mutseta, anogara mubhuku rekwaMaja, Chief Nyakuchena. Mutupo wake Chivambu, Katerere, Hwesa. Munhu uyu dambudziko rake nderekuvaka dzimba dzichiparara nemhepo zvisinganzwisisike munharaunda, haana chikwereti mubhuku, kwamambo kana kucouncil.”
The DA’s office then referred him to his clan for an amicable solution to the chieftainship wrangle. Mr Mutseta traced his roots back to Katerere where he was well received by elders among them headmen who said they knew that something was amiss in their traditional spiritual realm. They accused the current chief of neglecting their traditional norms and values.
“Taiva tasara pazuva nekuti mhuri yainge yasara isisina muchengeti. Chifodya akatoiswa pachigaro nemavhoti akadaidzirwa nzvimbo yese. Isu pachivanhu chedu tinoziva kuti mambo anogadzwa nemhondoro dzinomufukidza nejira, opihwa ngundu, otambidzwa ngundu netsvimbo zvedzinza nababa akagara pabonde. Mushure mezvo panozobikwa doro rekusekerera mambo. Zvese izvi hazvina kuitwa. (We were orphaned in our area. The current chief ascended to the throne through ballots cast by community members which is contrary to our traditional ways of installing a chief. The selection process of the throne’s heir is led by a spirit medium. Some rituals are done as part of the installation process,” said 83-year-old Headman Chabundo Choto Sachiwo.
Chifodya Matambo became chief around 1997. Since then his elderly subjects are bemoaning his negligence of traditional rituals.
“It is our tradition in Katerere that we do not put on red clothes in summer, grow crops in graveyards and mountains, but these taboos are now being violated willy-nilly. Surprisingly the chief has been leading in growing crops in Nyamukondeza Mountain,” said Mr Shingirayi Katerere.
The vehicle which the chief was allocated by the Government is now a write-off after being involved in a series of accidents. The chief is now bed-ridden due to blindness and his son, Tonderayi Chifodya, took over a few years back. He has since been replaced by brother George.
After futile attempts to meet the ailing chief on several occasions, the elders finally met Chief Katerere on January 25 where it was agreed that another meeting would be convened on February 10 at the DA’s Office to finalise the hot issue.
“Taita chibvumirano vemhuri yaKaterere naChief Chifodya Katerere kuti tisangane kwamudzviti musi wa10 February, 2015 kuNyanga. Nyaya ichanotaurwa ndeye umambo hwaKaterere maringwa nekugadzwa. (We have met and agreed as the Katerere family that we should meet again at the Nyanga DA’s Office to finalise the issue of our chieftainship”,” reads part of the minutes which Chief Katerere signed and stamped.
However, Chief Chifodya Katerere did not turn up and unfortunately the DA was not in her office on the day and they had to go back home with more questions than answers about the wrangle. The left snuff (fodya), a traditional cloth (jira)and (tsvimbo) a knobkerrie at the DA’s Office so that the matter may be given the attention it deserves. Efforts to get a comment from Chief Chifodya Katerere were fruitless at the time of going to press as his mobile phone was not reachable.
Katerere area has 97 villages and five headmen namely Sanyamuera, Sachiwo, Sanhani, Sabvure and Marowo, all of which were present at the DA’s Office last Tuesday.
Online Reporter