admin
Precious Maphosa/Mkhululi Ncube, Sunday News Reporters
TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD Mbusi Bekithemba Dakamela was on Friday installed as Chief Dakamela of Nkayi District in Matabeleland North Province at a colourful ceremony amid calls for chiefs to safeguard traditional values.
The young chief takes over the reign from his late aunt, regent Chief Hleziphi Dlodlo who died in 2017.
In a speech read on his behalf by his deputy, Cde Jennifer Mhlanga, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde July Moyo called for respect and preservation of traditional succession systems to prevent family disputes and squabbles.
“Some of the distortions that are rife in present-day traditional leadership systems such as succession wrangles are a result of lapses in our history which have been passed from one generation to the other orally. Failure by past generations to preserve same has seen some villains taking advantage to manipulate culture and tradition.
“Whereas the primogeniture system of succession, which the Ndebele/Nguni use may be fairly easy to interpret it goes without saying that you have a duty to safeguard this practice so that generations to come will observe it as this is your way of life and you must be proud to observe it,” he said.
The Minister said the Government was in the process of aligning the Traditional Leaders Act to the Constitution.
“My Ministry is currently seized with the process of aligning the Traditional Leaders Act to the Constitution. The said Constitution spells out various roles and responsibilities of traditional leaders in their respective communities, and it is these roles, responsibilities and obligations which should be succinctly pronounced and expanded in the new Act to give them legal force.”
The Minister said as the traditional head of the community the chief was expected to safeguard and promote the Nguni/Ndebele practices and values.
The installation ceremony was also attended by Nkayi South Member of Parliament, Cde Stars Mathe, Chief Siansale of Binga and other traditional leaders from Matabeleland North Province.
Mbusi Bekithemba Dakamela was born on 3 March 1995. He did his primary education at Nzwananzi and Tategulu Primary schools in Bulawayo and proceeded to Tennyson Hlabangana High in Hope Fountain on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
He later on went to Mahlasedi School (Jeppes Town in Johannesburg in South Africa), Fort Rixon School and Herentals College. His area covers Ward 16 with a population of over 5 000 people. In an interview with Sunday News after his installation, Chief Dakamela said he was happy to be the next chief of the Dakamela chieftainship.
“I am happy to take over the chieftaincy and I pledge to work with my community in addressing some of the challenges as we develop our community. We hope to work well with the Government,” he said.
@preciousmaphos7
@themkhust_ncube
Online Reporter