Villagers celebrate installation of new chief

Temba Dube Senior Reporter
KEZI villagers in Matabeleland South are celebrating the installation of new Chief Bidi after going for almost four years without a traditional leader.
Mr Nqaba Ndiweni (19), was officially installed as Chief Bidi at a colourful ceremony which was attended by hundreds of villagers on Saturday last week.
Not even threats by his uncles who said he was not eligible to be chief could dampen the celebrations that prevailed at his installation.
The uncles, the eldest male member of the family, Mr Simon Bidi Ndiweni and Mr Frederick Ndiweni, said the Nguni culture dictated that the elder Mr Ndiweni should be chief ahead of Mr Nqaba Ndiweni.

They claimed they had the support of villagers.
In separate interviews on Monday, the villagers, however, said they were happy to have the new chief. “We are happy to have such a young chief. I think he will be able to combine modern technology with the traditional wisdom of his office to effectively serve us. We do not care about family squabbles.

“The important thing is that we have a new chief. This area has operated for too long without one. In the rural areas, not having a chief is like living in an urban area where there is no police force or local authority to enforce city by-laws. I am happy that we finally have a leader,” said a 23-year-old school teacher who declined to be named.

Mr George Maganga (71), who was born in the Bidi area and has lived there all his life, said he was pleased that the chief was finally installed.
“We have heard about the family problems but I think the most important thing is that there is a new chief. The area has been without a leader for a long time,” said Mr Maganga.

He said the Bidi chieftaincy wrangle dated from the days of the second Chief Bidi. “It has now become complicated and trying to unravel it would not benefit anyone,” said Mr Maganga.

Another Villager, Ms Sakhile Ndebele, said she was “very happy” that a chief had finally been selected.
“I am in a celebratory mood. This is a momentous occasion. I wish him many more years as our chief,” said Ms Ndebele.
The new chief’s uncles even approached the High Court seeking to bar Local Government, Rural and Urban Development Minister, Dr Ignatius Chombo, from installing the young chief.

The Bidi chieftaincy’s area of jurisdiction is bounded by Shashane River in the east and Semukwe River in the West.
It stretches from Marinoha Hills in the north, where it shares a boundary with Chief Fuyana and ends in the south at Demarcation Line Road, where Chief Malaba’s area starts.

The chieftaincy started with Bidi Ndiweni in 1923 and his son Ntinima took over in 1929, followed by Ephraim Mthibe in 1982.
Mthibe’s second born son, Mr Joseph Smile became chief in 1990 after the first born, Felix died but left a daughter.
Joseph Smile died in May 2009 and the area had been without a chief since then.