Chieftainship wrangles stall 13 installations
GOVERNMENT will over the next two months install 13 substantive chiefs across Masvingo Province, where several chieftainship wrangles are awaiting determination by the provincial chiefs’ assembly.
Plans to coronate several chiefs across the province including the new Chief Gutu, among others, have been stalled by wrangles between families within the succession line, with the majority of cases spilling into the courts of law.
Masvingo provincial administrator, Mr Fungai Mbetsa, said there were 13 outstanding chieftainship cases awaiting determination by the Provincial Chiefs’ Assembly.
Mr Mbetsa said Government and the Provincial Chiefs’ Assembly were working hand in glove to ensure all the vacant chieftainship posts were filled.
“We have more than 13 new chiefs who will soon be appointed across the province over the next two months and we are closely working with the Provincial Chiefs Assembly to come up with a final decision on the occupancy of the vacant chieftainship some of which are currently held in an acting capacity.
“The process could have been completed by now, but there are still some areas where there are serious disputes over succession, but we are very happy that the
Guard against post-harvest losses, farmers told COMMUNAL farmers here have been urged to set up community crop rescue teams to combat the larger grain borer, which is threatening to cause serious post-harvest losses across Zaka.
Farmers in Zaka are bracing for a bumper harvest of grains such as maize and sorghum, following a successful farming season backed by inputs support from Command Agriculture and the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme.
Addressing hundreds of farmers at a Field Day in Jerera last week, Masvingo Provincial Crops and Livestock officer Mr Peter Chamisa said farmers could only win the battle against plant pests and diseases if they manage to identify them early.
He said the reduction of post-harvest losses was critical in ensuring future global food security.
“Farmers can go on mountain tops to claim the season was productive after recording good harvests, but there are genuine fears that their achievements Chiefs’ Assembly is trying by all means to expeditiously deal with the cases,” said Mr Mbetsa.
He said among the pending chieftainship wrangles still to be determined included Mukanganwi and Bota in Bikita and Gutu, and Nyakunhuwa in Zaka, where the selected heirs were being challenged by other family members.
He said the investure of substantive chiefs in the chiefdoms was rescheduled to allow the feuding family members to find common ground.
In Bikita, Retired Major General Gibson Mashingaidze has been chosen as the
can come to naught if they do not engage in proper post-harvest strategies.
“This farming season, we urge farmers to be on the lookout for the devastating larger grain borer which poses a real a threat to our harvests,” said Mr Chamisa.
He urged communal farmers to work closely with field extension officers in the fight against crop pests and diseases. Mr Chamisa said Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, has availed chemicals to farmers in order to contain the pests.
“For us to win the battle, we need to detect the larger grain borer early. Farmers also need to form community crop rescue teams to guard against the spread of pests and diseases during the post-harvest period,” he said.
Addressing farmers at the same event, Pannar Seeds national agronomist Mr Ngoni Rufu warned farmers against buying pesticides from bogus dealers as this militated the fight against pests and diseases. new substantive Chief Mukanganwi, but his coronation was cancelled after other clan members contested his appointment. The matter is still pending. In Bikita, the family of prominent bus operator Mr Tanda Tavaruva commonly known as “Mhunga” had settled for his first born Mr Godwin Tavaruva to take over the Gutu chieftainship before the decision was contested, prompting the family to lose out after the provincial Chiefs’ Council settled for a new shortlist of heirs.
“Mukanganwi, Gutu, Nyakunhuwa and Bota chieftainships are being reviewed while the chief’s selection committee is still to deal with the Budzi and Gudo chieftainships in Bikita and Chiredzi respectively.
“The Chiefs Assembly committee has to sit down and see whether the appointments are in line with the culture of people in question,” said Mr Mbetsa.
“Budzi and Gudo are still to be visited by the selection committee for review and a chief ’s assembly committee will analyse to see if the appointments are in line with the Constitution and people’s culture.”
Other chieftainships that were still to be determined include Bere and Zimuto in Masvingo district, Shindi in Chivi, Neromwe in Zaka and Mawarire in Mwenezi.
Masvingo province has a total of 44 substantive chieftainships.