Zimpapers Logo

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
A Mhondoro chieftaincy wrangle involving three families seeking to dethrone incumbent Mr Ignatius Chiketa as Chief Mashayamombe raged on last week with Mashonaland Provincial Assembly of Chiefs convening a meeting with the warring parties.

The meeting was in fulfilment of a High Court ruling last year that declined to hear chieftainship disputes, saying the Constitution conferred that responsibility to the Provincial Assembly of Chiefs.

The meeting was chaired by Chief Nyamweda upon being delegated by the chairperson of the provincial assembly of Chiefs, Chief Dandawa.

The three families argued that the principles of rotational succession applicable to the clan were not followed when Mr Chiketa was installed as Chief Mashayamombe by the then Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Ignatius Chombo.

In an interview at the weekend, Mr Cosmas Svova, spokesperson for one of the contending families, argued that the meeting held in Mhondoro was not properly constituted in that all the families concerned were not invited.

It was Mr Svova’s argument that Mr Thomas Juta Hwakwakwa should be the rightful heir, saying Mr Chiketa did not belong to the four families that were eligible to be installed.

“The meeting which was chaired by Chief Nyamweda excluded the rightful families that are entitled to the throne of Chief Mashayamombe,” he said.

“Things were not properly handled. Some of us attended the meeting after we heard about it by coincidence and got there when it was almost being concluded.”

Chief Dandawa said he was still to get a briefing on what transpired since he had delegated Chief Nyamweda to take charge of the proceedings.

Mashonaland West Provincial Administrator Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo said she had sent a representative who was still to brief her.

“If it came out that the meeting was not properly constituted we will have to reconvene it,” she said.

“But I am still to get a full briefing on it.”

When contacted for comment, Chief Nyamweda dismissed claims that some of the families were not represented.

He said upon their enquiry, they noted that the families raising complaints were represented by elders in their family tree.

“The meeting was not to decide who should be Chief Mashayamombe for them to raise those complaints,” said Chief Nyamweda. “It was to decide the eligibility of Mr Chiketa as Chief Mashayamombe.

“Again, from our deliberations and in my view, I noted that there have been some families that have been sidelined for a long time. Only one family, that of Choshata had the throne all these years, thus monopolising the chieftainship. Their claims that they were the only families entitled to it is not supported by documentary evidence.”

But Mr Svova disagreed, saying the Mashayamombe chieftainship was first established by Koroka after he had disagreements with his brother Maromo upon the demise of their father, Nyagwizu.

Maromo then grabbed all the inheritance, leaving Koroka with nothing.

He contends that Koroka then left the Zvihota area towards present day Mhondoro where he aided Chief Chivero to fight Matema, a war that was eventually left to be completed by his grandson Choshata.

Choshata then selected his four sons, as he was ageing, to take the reign in turns.

The four were Kawara, Muzhuzha, Kakono and Bangira.

“Since then, the chieftainship throne has always been held using this rotation in the above sequence,” said Mr Svova.