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Village heads in Makonde district seek to engage Government for allowances to help finance their day-to-day activities.
Mr Redfan Machipisa, village head for Rivonia in Ward 1, said they had to be paid for complementing the duties of chiefs and headmen.
“We are not getting anything for conducting our duties and this has crippled our activities,” he said. “In some cases, we fail to control our subordinates as they normally take a swipe at us since we are considered poor.”
Village heads usually demand a chicken each from an accuser and accused, especially when presiding over their cases, as these would be used for meals at the village court.
Some of the chickens are actually sold to raise money to buy books, pens and other stationery items that might be useful during court proceedings.
Mr Antony Madhuveko, a village head from Makopa Village, said they had been systematically stripped of their power by illegal settlers.
“Apart from not getting any allowances, most of us do not have identification badges, which we are supposed to have,” he said.
Online Reporter