Chirumanzu chieftainship elder seeks court interdict against acting chief’s aide

AN elder from the Chirumanzu chieftainship has approached the Mvuma Magistrates Court seeking an order to stop acting Chief Fidelis Mudzengi’s ally, Aaron Rwodzi from “communicating disparaging information” about the appointment of a substantive chief.

In his application through lawyers Ruvengo Maboke and Company, John Marinda, cited as the applicant and Rwodzi as respondent, said the interdict would be heard next Monday.

“The applicant seeks an order against you and that you be barred from communicating disparaging information and not to interfere with matters relating to the process and appointment of substantive Chief Chirumanzu,” part of the application dated August 25 addressed to the Clerk of Court, Mvuma and copied to Rwodzi read.

In his founding affidavit, Marinda said he was a direct descendant of the Chirumanzu chieftainship and felt that Rwodzi’s conduct was causing confusion and chaos to the Chirumanzu chieftainship succession plan.

Marinda also accused Rwodzi of creating a WhatsApp group early this year where “utterances causing confusion and are disrespectful to our clan members” were made.

“This is an application to interdict the respondent from interfering with the process of choosing or appointment of substantive Chief Chirumanzu,” he wrote.

“The respondent has been communicating disparaging words and denouncing other members of the Chirumanzu clan as if he is one of the clan members yet he has no role to play.”

The applicant further said the respondent was a villager in Chief Chirumanzu’s area of jurisdiction and as such, a subject of the chief who had no authority or role to play in the nomination and appointment of the substantive chief.

Marinda said he felt that he had no other remedy to stop Rwodzi’s conduct except through the courts.

In recent weeks, Rwodzi, using the name Chinamhora, has been posting on social media denouncing the chieftainship elders and that the dispute existed “within a few individual heads” and that Mudzengi was allegedly appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as acting chief in May “with no term limit”.

He also alleged that NewsDay was reporting about the chieftainship wrangle “under due instruction from the defunct royal chiefs’

dare (traditional court)”.

Rwodzi is a Zanu PF activist who once contested in the party primaries for Chirumanzu Zibagwe seat but lost.

The battle for the Chirumanzu chieftainship started following the death of the late Chief Jerald Mudzengi in February 2019.

Mudzengi’s son, Fidelis has been acting chief since then, but allegedly refused to hand over power to the next heir, one Julius Chimbi Chigegwe, at the end of his acting term in February this year.