Matabeleland chiefs seek audience with leaders

MATABELELAND South chiefs have started serving the country's senior leadership with invitation letters for a meeting next week to deliberate on the alleged unsanctioned visits to the Njelele shrine.

On Monday the chiefs met in Esigodini where they expressed displeasure over the recent visits to Njelele by people believed to be war veterans who reportedly performed some rituals.

Njelele shrine is situated in Matobo District. The chiefs felt the development was undermining their authority and causing commotion in the province.

They then resolved to hold a meeting on Monday next week where they would invite the president of the Chiefs' Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, and his deputy Chief Mtshana Khumalo of Bubi.

They also agreed to invite Zanu-PF National Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo and war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda to present their concerns to them since the issue involved allegations against Zanu-PF and war veterans.

In an interview from Harare yesterday, Chief Charumbira confirmed receiving the invite from Chief Masendu, who was asked to serve the invitation letters.

"Yes, I got the letter today through Chief Masendu. Unfortunately I will not be able to make it on that day because I have another pressing commitment. However, my deputy, Chief Mtshana Khumalo, will be present," said Chief Charumbira.

"This is a good meeting and I have no problem with it. We expect the meeting to solve the potential conflict between our people and create the peace that we want as chiefs."

Khaya Moyo also confirmed receiving the invite.

"Chief Masendu gave me the invitation letter for their meeting next week Monday. I would not want to comment on that issue now because I do not know anything about it. I would rather listen to what their problem is first," said Khaya Moyo.

Sibanda could not be reached on his cellphone for a comment.

Last month the chiefs also met and condemned the visit to the shrine without their approval as custodians of cultural values.

It is the chiefs' contention that on three  different occasions, a group of unknown  people numbering about 750, 650 and

150 surreptitiously visited Njelele shrine and forced their way in and conducted some cleansing rituals without the knowledge and approval of the local traditional leadership.

The chiefs said anyone was allowed to visit Njelele as long as he or she followed proper channels. They also said the political leadership from Matabeleland should watch the issue closely and take a position on it as the visitors were threatening to come back soon and were demanding to meet all chiefs and villagers in the province.

The chiefs underscored the need to address the issue with haste, saying villagers were already disturbed by it.

Matabeleland South Governor and Resident Minister Angeline Masuku, who also attended the meeting, reiterated the need to deal with the matter urgently.

The chiefs said the issue, if not handled promptly, would tarnish the image of Zanu-PF and the political leadership and cause infighting between communities.

They said Njelele needed to be cleansed in order to appease the ancestors following the strange rituals by the unsanctioned visitors.

The chiefs said the group visited the shrine at the wrong time of the year, which might anger the gods.
Others said the development was a deliberate ploy to undermine the Ndebele traditional leadership and their culture.

It is alleged that the group of visitors went to Mozambique sometime ago where they toured places where liberation war fighters died and were buried during the liberation struggle.

The group reportedly picked up some stones from the mass graves, which they brought to Njelele  intending to conduct cleansing rituals as they claimed to be haunted by the spirits of the dead.