News / National
Chigwedere bribed chief with cow and a goat for headmanship nomination
16 Mar 2012 at 08:16hrs | Views
All for the love of headmanship, Mashonaland East Governor Aeneas Chigwedere bribed former Acting Chief Svosve with a cow and a goat to facilitate his nomination as headman Mubaiwa, the High Court heard yesterday.
Concluding his cross-examination of 93-year-old Zindoga Chibonore who was acting chief when Chigwedere was nominated, Harare lawyer Maxwell Mavhunga said the elderly traditional leader had received an inducement.
Mavhunga said Chibonore had to disregard tradition and customs of the Mubaiwa people to an extent of holding the traditional installation ceremony at a country club.
In disregard of the tradition, Mavhunga said, the nomination and appointment was done before the kurova guva ritual in respect of the former headman were conducted.
He said Chibonore knew nothing about the Mubaiwa family tree and Chigwedere influenced the nomination without consultation. Responding to the allegations, Chibonore said the cow and goat he received from Chigwedere were a fine.
"What I know is that I fined Chigwedere one beast and one goat for insulting me. He insulted and mocked me well before I became chief saying I was not his chief.
When he appeared before me after I had been appointed acting chief, I firstly fined him before dealing with the Mubaiwa headmanship," he said.
But Mavhunga said since the alleged insult happened when Chibonore was not yet a chief, it was suspicious for Chigwedere to be fined just before his nomination as headman.
Concluding his cross-examination of 93-year-old Zindoga Chibonore who was acting chief when Chigwedere was nominated, Harare lawyer Maxwell Mavhunga said the elderly traditional leader had received an inducement.
Mavhunga said Chibonore had to disregard tradition and customs of the Mubaiwa people to an extent of holding the traditional installation ceremony at a country club.
In disregard of the tradition, Mavhunga said, the nomination and appointment was done before the kurova guva ritual in respect of the former headman were conducted.
"What I know is that I fined Chigwedere one beast and one goat for insulting me. He insulted and mocked me well before I became chief saying I was not his chief.
When he appeared before me after I had been appointed acting chief, I firstly fined him before dealing with the Mubaiwa headmanship," he said.
But Mavhunga said since the alleged insult happened when Chibonore was not yet a chief, it was suspicious for Chigwedere to be fined just before his nomination as headman.
Source - herald
