Makoni boundaries put on ice

 

Lovemore Kadzura
Rusape Correspondent

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has intervened in the boundaries dispute pitting traditional leaders in Makoni District by halting the implementation of General Notice 335 of 2018.

Makoni District has five traditional leaders, namely Chiefs Makoni, Chiduku, Chikore, Chipunza and Tandi.

General Notice 335 of 2018 had placed vast resettlement areas in Headlands and Nyazura under Chiefs Chiduku, Chikore, Chipunza and Tandi; while Chief Makoni was excluded.

This created a lot of disharmony in the district as the other chiefs started moving into areas that were being claimed by the Makoni clan.

The Makoni clan even demonstrated late last year as they said the new boundaries had significantly reduced their territory.

As the saga rages on, President Mnangagwa’s intervention is expected to bring normalcy to the biggest district in the province.

In a letter written by the Director (Traditional Leaders), Mr Fungai Mbetsa, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Mr Zvinechimwe Churu, which was addressed to Makoni District Development Coordinator, Mr Edwin Mashindi, Mr Mbetsa said President Mnangagwa instructed that the implementation of the new boundaries in Makoni District be halted.

The letter was also copied to all the five chiefs in the district.

“ . . . Following communication from His Excellency, the President, Dr E.D Mnangagwa on the above stated matter, you are instructed to stop the implementation of the General Notice 335 of 2018 as previously instructed. You will be guided in due course on how to proceed,” reads part of the letter.

Chief Makoni, Mr Colgan Gwasira, hailed President Mnangagwa for his intervention.

“We have received the letter. We would like to thank the President for adding his voice on the issue. We contested the General Notice within the stipulated time and we had a very clear and straight forward argument.

“We took Government to court, but later withdrew to give negotiations a chance and now the President has stopped the implementation of the General Notice. We expect to live in harmony with other chiefs,” he said.

Chief Chiduku, Mr Revai Mbaimbai, said they are still studying the letter.

“We received the letter, but I do not have much to say as we are still going through it,” he said.

Efforts to get comments from Chiefs Chipunza, Tandi and Chikore were fruitless.