Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve
TRIUMPH turned to tears of joy in Victoria Falls on Friday as 31-year-old Silibaziso Mlotshwa was finally installed as substantive Chief Mvuthu after an 11-year bruising family feud that tried to lock her out of the throne because she is a woman.
Clad in the blazing red robe, chain and hat of royalty, with the royal rod gripped firmly in her hand, Chief Mvuthu stood tall — the first female substantive chief in Matabeleland North and the eighth in Zimbabwe. She joins four others in Matabeleland South who have smashed the same glass ceiling.
Her appointment by President Mnangagwa, effective from May 16, 2024, was confirmed by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, finally closing a chapter of leadership limbo that began when her father, Chief Nyangayezizwe Mlotshwa, died in March 2014.
For years, some traditionalists fought tooth and nail to block her rise, arguing that Ndebele custom did not allow a woman to lead. But Section 56 of the Constitution, which guarantees gender equality, gave her the legal ammunition to fight back — and win.
The installation ceremony at the Mlotshwa homestead was officiated by Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Albert Mavhunga, who handed her the regalia and the keys to a brand-new Government vehicle.
“Ms Silibaziso Mlotshwa being installed today as Chief Mvuthu was born on the 5 December 1994 here in Hwange District,” said the Deputy Minister. “She is a role model to the youth, having served as a community teacher and later with the Jafuta Foundation, where she worked tirelessly to empower women and children.”
He reminded traditional leaders that their duties have evolved.
“Traditional leaders are not to be seen as mere custodians of our cultural and traditional values anymore but must be champions of development,” he said.
The President of the Chiefs Council, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, called it a landmark moment.
“We were installing one of the first, if not the first, substantive female chief in Matabeleland North. The High Court directed us to uphold gender equality and Chief Mvuthu’s persistence has rewritten tradition in line with our supreme law,” he said.
For Chief Mvuthu, the day was the end of an emotional marathon.
“I was fighting for this for 11 years. Those struggles shaped me. They taught me that no one will fight for you, you must rise and claim your place. I am here not to dictate, but to serve,” she said.
She dedicated her win to women and girls everywhere.
“This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to every young girl who dreams of leading, to every woman told she cannot,” she said.
