Call to revive Chimbwerere chieftaincy

MEMBERS of the Chimbwerere clan in Guruve district of Mashonaland Central have called on Government to urgently attend to issues impairing the complete resuscitation of their chieftaincy.

The Chimbwerere chieftainship was abolished by the white settler regime and efforts to revive it over the years have been in vain.

Following the recommendations made by the Chitiyo Commission of Inquiry appointed by the Ministry of Local Governance, Public Works, and National Housing, the Mashonaland Central provincial council of chiefs went on to appoint Mr Benjamin Garaiza as the designate chief.

Mashonaland Central provincial administrator Mr Cosmas Chiringa confirmed the developments that have been made on the process of resuscitating the chieftaincy.

“Government approved the resuscitation of the Chimbwerere chieftainship and what has been going on is the election of the substantive Chief Chimbwerere,” he said. “The provincial chiefs’ council appointed a commission which went there to mediate in the selection of the new chief.

“Thereafter, the committee made their submissions to the provincial assembly which is chaired by Chief Nembire to make its own decision. The issue now is still pending because the provincial assembly is also supposed to make its own recommendations which goes on to the National Chiefs’ Council.

“What is also causing the delay is that Government is still aligning the Traditional Leaders’ Act with the new constitution and once that has been done the appointment will be made.”

The Traditional Leaders’ Act provides for the appointment of chiefs by the President and promotion, as well as upholding of cultural values among members of the community.

Mr Washington Chidziwo of the Chimbwerere clan, who has been steering the process of the resuscitation of their chieftainship, called on Government to intervene and deal with some of the issues which allegedly had been politicised by the previous administration.

“As a clan, we researched and pushed hard for the resuscitation of the chieftaincy which was approved by the Chitiyo Commission of Inquiry,’ he said. “All procedures were done, meetings held and a consensus was reached to appoint the living eldest member of the house of Mademba as chief, who is Mr Benjamin Garaiza.

“This is in line with the Chimbwerere traditional customs and cultural values. However, the resuscitation of the chieftaincy has been all along suppressed by succession politics and some of the chiefs in Mashonaland Central trying to suffocate the emergency of this bona fide chieftaincy.

“Now that we have a new administration, we call upon President Mnangagwa to urgently attend to the issue which can impair development in the area.”