New package for traditional leaders

THE Government has announced a package for chiefs that will see them getting foreign currency allowances, medical aid, monthly fuel coupons and airtime for ease of communication.

Their cars will also be serviced by Government and they will receive brand new ones after every five years.

The development follows concerns that some traditional chiefs have been failing to execute their duties due to lack of resources.

This was due to broken down vehicles or lack of fuel, but that is set to be a thing of the past as the Second Republic has taken a deliberate position to capacitate the constitutionally-recognised traditional leaders.

Traditional leaders are the vanguard of traditional values in the wake of cultural imperialism.

Last year, President Mnangagwa handed over vehicles to some traditional leaders as part of Government’s ongoing programme to ensure chiefs are mobile and to restore their dignity.

Speaking on Tuesday at Chief Sigola’s homestead in Esiphezini, Umzingwane district in Matabeleland South province, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Marian Chombo, said never again will chiefs in Zimbabwe have transport and communication challenges as Government has committed to improving their welfare to also include their medical needs.

Deputy Minister Chombo visited Chief Sigola (95) to get first-hand information on his plight after being invited by Umzingwane MP, Cde Levi Mayihlome.

During a briefing session, Deputy Minister Chombo was told that Chief Sigola was given 70 hectares of non-arable land, was living in a farmhouse that had no electricity and no running water and the road leading to his homestead is not trafficable.

The Deputy Minister was also told that unlike most of his colleagues, Chief Sigola does not have a car or an offer letter for the land that he was given.

Emerging from the briefing, Deputy Minister Chombo told a gathering of officials from various Government departments in the district, headmen, village heads, and villagers that she was touched by Chief Sigola’s plight and promised to address all the issues within the next 30 days.

Having been to Tsholotsho on Monday where she met three local chiefs, Deputy Minister Chombo said a number of issues on the welfare of the traditional leaders have been raised and they are all generally the same.

She said Government already has plans to improve the welfare of chiefs.

“There are many issues that were raised about the welfare of our chiefs in general. I want to inform this gathering that as Government, we are introducing medical aid for all the chiefs in the country, we are introducing air time for them.”

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