adminPatrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
TRADITIONAL leaders should help the government monitor and evaluate development projects under their jurisdiction, Chief Njelele has said.
Addressing students from the National Defence College, villagers and government officials at his homestead in Gokwe North on Thursday, Chief Njelele said it was every chief’s duty to assist the government in the implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of development programmes in their areas.
He said Zimbabwe had the potential to grow socially and economically, hence the need for traditional leaders to come up with development plans.
“Traditional leaders should play a pivotal role in local economies as customary custodians of our values. Our greatest expectation is to see a healthy and prosperous community,” he said.
Chief Njelele said there was need for society to shun such vices as infidelity, incest, among others.
“As traditional leaders we shun violence from any corner, level or group. Violence is a vice and it destroys what it claims to defend. We aim and strive for a violence free community. Violence and development are diametrically opposite entities and the former should not be allowed a square inch in the fabric of our society,” he said.
“Gokwe as a whole is a confluence of diverse tribes and we have managed to co-exist and we shall endeavour to keep that for the betterment of society.”
He said traditional leaders should also fight early marriages. The chief said the girl child should be empowered first through getting proper education before entering into marriage.
“As the old adage say, ‘early marriage life is a possible pitfall.’ This practice is against our tradition. It should be a duty of every parent, guardian, the school and community to safeguard young ones and nurture them to be purposeful adults. Help children realize their educational goals,” said Chief Njelele.
Team leader of National Defence Course 04/2015 of the National Defence College that is on a domestic study tour of Chief Njelele’s area, Air Commodore Brian Chikonzo, said students from the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Police, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and other government departments were being taught on issues to do with the security of the country.
He said they were there to learn about governance and the livelihoods of people.
“This course looks at the being of people, the livelihood of persons, things such as unemployment, hunger. These are a security threat to the individual and the country. So they are here to learn,” said Air Commodore Chikonzo.
“Apart from local students, some of the students in this course are from Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and South Africa. Their course started in September and they will graduate next year.”
Online Reporter