admin
Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Matabeleland North traditional leader Chief Mtshane Khumalo was yesterday elected as the new president of the Council of Chiefs replacing long serving leader Chief Fortune Charumbira from Masvingo, who was elected as vice president in an election that saw a smooth transition.
The two automatically sit in the Senate and will be joined by 16 more chiefs, two from each non-metropolitan province, who will be elected by the provincial chiefs councils on 24 August 2023.
The retention of Chief Charumbira in Parliament, by electing him vice-president of the national council, guarantees him to continue with his position as president of the Pan African Parliament, a continental legislative assembly, since all members and office holders in that body must be legislators in their home country.
Chief Mtshane Khumalo and Chief Charumbira were elected unopposed after no any other nomination papers were received in respect of the president and vice president at a ceremony that was presided over by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Presiding officer Mr James Chidamba declared the two duly elected at the close of nomination.
Chief Khumalo pledged to pursue reforms to the law and improve the institution of traditional leaders.
“We shall work as a team not only between me and the vice president, but between us and everyone else so that we keep the momentum that has been going on among us for the past 10 years,” he said. “I promise I will do that in my capacity as president of the National Chiefs Council. We still have outstanding elections to represent this institution at Senate. How I wish that you all come back to continue where we left. There are a lot of things we have to deal with and one thing that come to my mind is the alignment of the Traditional Leaders Act with the Constitution, even the revisit to the Constitution itself, the terms of office for the president and VP.
“I feel strongly we should revisit those two, the Constitution that gives term limits to the president and VP of the National Chiefs Council.”
In his acceptance speech, Chief Charumbira pledged to continue working well with Chief Khumalo, adding his election will give him energy to work for the improvement of the institution of traditional leaders.
“What is significant in this election is that I am happy that Chief Mtshane Khumalo has taken over as the president of Chiefs Council. I think that is the right thing to have happened for the country at this moment. He is the right person to be president of this institution,” he said.
“I want to say thank you for expressing confidence in him and at the same time seeing it fit that I still work close to him after I had personally announced that I was not standing as president and was proposing my deputy to lead. You have seen it fit that I work with him in the manner that I have worked with him before as deputy. More significantly it is me who nominated him.
“It is a culture that we may need to build in this country and across Africa and everywhere. The issue of succession is problematic, you know it better. In this case we did it smoothly. For record purpose, when I became president, the person who nominated me was my predecessor Chief Mangwende.
“We have carried over that culture. I was also elected unopposed and today I have nominated Chief Khumalo and we want to build on that even in future. We are not politicians who tussle for positions for these five years. We have our positions which have no contestation.”
Chief Director in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Mr Felex Chikovo commended traditional leaders, saying he hoped that the forthcoming 23 August 2023 harmonised elections will beincident free.
The election was attended by ZEC Commissioners led by Deputy Chairperson Commissioner, Rodney Kiwa and senior Government officials.
Online Reporter