Online Reporter
Sidumisile Mabena
A bitter leadership wrangle in Shabula School Village in Lupane District, Matabeleland North Province, has reportedly torn families and the wider community apart after a dispute over the succession of a late village head allegedly turned violent, forcing the appointed female successor to flee the country fearing for her life.
The dispute centres on Ms Siboniso Siziba, daughter of the late village head Mr Ananiah Siziba, who died on December 18, 2023.
Villagers who spoke on condition of anonymity said tensions began soon after Ms Siziba was appointed village head on April 18, 2024, following her father’s death.
According to residents, while some community members supported her appointment as the first-born child in the family, her brothers strongly opposed the move, arguing that traditional leadership should remain in male hands.
“There was resistance from the beginning because some family members felt a woman could not lead the village,” said one villager.
“Her brothers believed the position belonged to them and not to a woman.”
Residents said the disagreement soon spilled into the community, with accusations and counter-accusations dividing villagers.
Another resident alleged that Ms Siziba was accused of being linked to opposition politics in what some villagers believed was an attempt to tarnish her reputation and weaken her standing within the community.
“People started hearing stories that she was supporting opposition politics and using her leadership position for personal gain. That caused mistrust among some villagers,” said the resident.
Villagers said the conflict escalated further after the new village leadership oversaw food distribution programmes and processed land applications for community members.
“She moved quickly in helping people who had applied for land and some villagers appreciated that, but others accused her of abusing authority and benefiting personally from the process,” said another villager.
According to residents, the matter eventually attracted police attention after complaints were reportedly filed alleging irregularities in land allocations and misuse of community resources.
“She was once taken by police for questioning after allegations were made against her, but she later returned home,” said a villager.
Community members said relations within the village deteriorated sharply in August last year during preparations for Heroes Day commemorations, a traditional event where villagers contribute food and other items for ceremonies honouring liberation war heroes.
“There were disagreements over the collections for the event, with some people claiming the food would be diverted for personal use. But the ceremony eventually went ahead successfully,” said one elder.
However, villagers allege that shortly after the event, violence erupted at Ms Siziba’s homestead when a group of men reportedly descended on the property at night.
“There was chaos that night. People heard shouting and later saw smoke coming from the homestead,” said one resident.
“They were saying a woman could never rule over them.”
Residents said parts of the homestead, including a kitchen hut and bedrooms, were allegedly set on fire during the attack, while livestock was also affected.
Another villager said Ms Siziba reportedly escaped through a back window before allegedly being attacked while fleeing.
“She was later found injured after being beaten with sticks by unknown men. People thought she had died,” said the villager.
“She was assisted by an elderly woman from the area who advised her to leave because her life was no longer safe.”
Villagers said the incident left the community deeply divided, with some supporting the traditional appointment process while others insisted leadership should remain with male family members.
“There are still strong feelings in the village over this issue. Some people believe she was unfairly targeted while others say the leadership dispute should have been handled differently,” said another resident.
Community members also expressed concern over the growing role of political accusations in traditional leadership disputes.
“Once politics entered the matter, things became dangerous. It stopped being just a family disagreement and became a community conflict,” said a local elder.
By the time of publication, local traditional leaders and police had not publicly commented on the matter.
