News / National
Chief Mkoba buried
02 Jul 2016 at 12:10hrs | Views
CHIEF Mkoba who died on Monday, was buried at his homestead in Lower Gweru yesterday. Born Steven Phahlamoyo Mkoba, Chief Mkoba (92) died at a hospital in Gweru due to kidney complications.
Thousands of people who include Chief's Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Midlands, Jason Machaya; Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage Minister Abednico Ncube and several senior government officials and MPs turned up for the burial.
Chief Mkoba's clan were the occupants of the present day Gweru Urban, with the populous Mkoba high density suburb being named after the chiefdom.
The chief was a direct descendant of the Rozvi and last year he was installed the paramount chief of the revived Monomotapa Kingdom.
The government provided the coffin, food among others requirements for the burial of the chief who is survived by wife Sihle and 17 children.
Chief Charumbira told mourners there was going to be a two year period for mourning the chief before deliberations for his successor are entertained.
"We have lost a leader, a unifier and leaders are from God. Just because you have a suit doesn't mean you can be a leader. Others have tried to be councillors, MPs and fell on the wayside because God didn't choose them to be leaders. So a leader will come from the family and therefore there is no need for squabbles or fighting," said Chief Charumbira.
Chief Ngungumbane of Mberengwa said the Mkoba family knows exactly who was to succeed the late chief.
"We have heard families seeking legal recourse to resolve such matters and it's not called for. So we call upon this family to unite, mourn their departed father for a period of two years and then bring forward a name of a successor and not take the High Court route," he said.
Minister Ncube said he shared the grief of Chief Mkoba's people. He told mourners that the government had imported thousands of tonnes of food aid to feed the people in need. "The food aid is there. The government imported thousands of maize from different countries including Zambia to feed the people in need of the food aid. So if there are problems with regard to the distribution of the food, if villagers are aggrieved and are not happy or are not receiving the food aid, they should approach their DA so that the matter is addressed expeditiously because President Mugabe has said that no one should starve," he said.
Thousands of people who include Chief's Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Midlands, Jason Machaya; Rural Development, Preservation and Promotion of Culture and Heritage Minister Abednico Ncube and several senior government officials and MPs turned up for the burial.
Chief Mkoba's clan were the occupants of the present day Gweru Urban, with the populous Mkoba high density suburb being named after the chiefdom.
The chief was a direct descendant of the Rozvi and last year he was installed the paramount chief of the revived Monomotapa Kingdom.
The government provided the coffin, food among others requirements for the burial of the chief who is survived by wife Sihle and 17 children.
"We have lost a leader, a unifier and leaders are from God. Just because you have a suit doesn't mean you can be a leader. Others have tried to be councillors, MPs and fell on the wayside because God didn't choose them to be leaders. So a leader will come from the family and therefore there is no need for squabbles or fighting," said Chief Charumbira.
Chief Ngungumbane of Mberengwa said the Mkoba family knows exactly who was to succeed the late chief.
"We have heard families seeking legal recourse to resolve such matters and it's not called for. So we call upon this family to unite, mourn their departed father for a period of two years and then bring forward a name of a successor and not take the High Court route," he said.
Minister Ncube said he shared the grief of Chief Mkoba's people. He told mourners that the government had imported thousands of tonnes of food aid to feed the people in need. "The food aid is there. The government imported thousands of maize from different countries including Zambia to feed the people in need of the food aid. So if there are problems with regard to the distribution of the food, if villagers are aggrieved and are not happy or are not receiving the food aid, they should approach their DA so that the matter is addressed expeditiously because President Mugabe has said that no one should starve," he said.
Source - chronicle
