July Moyo fingered in fraudulent crowning of chief

LOCAL Government Minister, July Moyo has been sucked into the fight over the Goronga wchieftainship amid claims he fraudulently appointed Boyi Nyamande as the traditional leader to succeed the late Ticky Mpathiseni.

Tariro Katsvairo who is the eldest in the Nyamwiya lineage has approached gthe High Court demanding to be installed as substantive Chief Goronga of Mudzi District after his efforts to engage Moyo failed.

Katsvairo is seeking nullification of Boyi Nyamande's nomination and appointment as substantive chief on February 20 last year on the basis that his installation was not in line with the prevailing culture, customs, traditions and practices of the Goronga Chieftainship.

"As is apparent from the chieftainship tree, the last substantive chief was Chief Mpatiseni who passed on 27 September 2013," said Katsvairo in his court application.

"Accordingly, the next chief was supposed to come from Nyamwiya family which is next in line to inherit the throne. The acting chief Mpathiseni was aware of this fact as this was announced when he was appointed acting chief."

Katsvairo added: "Contrary to the prevailing culture, customs, traditions and practices of the Goronga people which dictates that the Nyamwiya family is the next house in line to inherit the chieftainship, the plaintiffs were surprised to learn that the 4th defendant Boyi Nyamande was nominated and appointed substantive Chief Goronga."

Katsvairo said the Goronga Chieftainship customary principles of succession can be traced back to 1947 during the days of Chibadu.

He said Nyamande's family is not the next house to inherit the throne in accordance of the chieftainship tree of the Goronga clan.

The applicant further argued that Nyamande's family according to the family tree cannot inherit the Goronga chieftainship.

Apart from the cultural and the customary principles of the Goronga clan disenfranchised Nyamande, Katsvairo said the chief was nominated whilst he a sitting councilor which is against the Constitution.

Moyo is said to have ignored Katsvairo's pleas.

Katsvairo also claimed there is a court order interdicting all the respondents including Moyo, the provincial administrators for Mashonaland East and Mudzi district, Nyamande and President Emmerson Mnangagwa against the appointment.

"The plaintiff sought the intervention of the Minister before approaching the High Court to no avail. The Minister proceeded with the process of enthroning Nyamande as a chief against the backdrop of an order interdicting the respondents before the resolution of the dispute surrounding the process of nomination and appointment of chieftainship of the Goronga clan," said his lawyers from Nyama Law Chambers.

"Plaintiffs have unnecessarily incurred legal costs in having to seek recourse in a court of law where the family tree is very clear and as such he deserves to be mulcted with costs on a higher scale as a sign of the court's displeasure of his fraudulent conduct of seeking to steal the throne through unorthodox means," said Katsvairo's lawyer before requesting that the Nyamande's chieftainship be nullified.

Nyamwiya family was also cited as an applicant in the case.

The case is pending.