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Chief Dingani-Nelukoba appeals for restoration of his area
26 Oct 2023 at 09:36hrs | Views
Chief Dingani-Nelukoba of Mabale in Hwange District has called upon the government to reconsider the boundaries of his chiefdom, citing a significant reduction in its size due to encroachments by neighboring chiefdoms.
Installed as chief in 1992 after the passing of his father, Chief Dingani-Nelukoba is one of the five chiefs in Hwange, alongside Chiefs Nekatambe, Whange, Shana, and Mvuthu.
His chiefdom shares borders with Chief Nekatambe, who has reportedly encroached upon parts of Chief Dingani-Nelukoba's territory. Additionally, Chief Dingani-Nelukoba's own homestead is now situated in an area belonging to Chief Mabhikwa and Menyezwa in Lupane, Chiefs Pashu and Lubimbi in Binga.
The chief explained that his jurisdiction originally extended from Jabatshaba near Jotsholo, covering Fatima, Halfway, Gwayi, parts of Lubimbi, and up to Kapani River in Lambo after Dete. However, it has since been reduced to the region between Gwayi and Dete.
Chief Dingani-Nelukoba has appealed to the government to review these boundary changes. Recently, he made this request to Environment Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu during the minister's visit to his homestead, where a nutritional garden established by Zimparks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare for the community was on display.
The chief mentioned that these boundary adjustments, which occurred in 2003 during discussions about a provincial capital for Matabeleland North, have negatively impacted his subjects. He emphasized that the changes were made without proper consultation, leading to confusion in the administration of his territory. He has engaged various government offices and departments to address the issue and is awaiting their feedback.
Chief Dingani-Nelukoba also revealed that he sought assistance from Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, who hails from the same area, and is awaiting his response. The chief's subjects have strong emotional ties to the issue of boundaries, as their forefathers were the area's pioneers.
They are known as the "Nelukoba" people because they generously allocated part of their land to neighboring Sawanga (Whange) when they arrived. However, this has left Chief Dingani-Nelukoba with limited territory for administration, prompting his call for a fair resolution to the boundary issue.
Installed as chief in 1992 after the passing of his father, Chief Dingani-Nelukoba is one of the five chiefs in Hwange, alongside Chiefs Nekatambe, Whange, Shana, and Mvuthu.
His chiefdom shares borders with Chief Nekatambe, who has reportedly encroached upon parts of Chief Dingani-Nelukoba's territory. Additionally, Chief Dingani-Nelukoba's own homestead is now situated in an area belonging to Chief Mabhikwa and Menyezwa in Lupane, Chiefs Pashu and Lubimbi in Binga.
The chief explained that his jurisdiction originally extended from Jabatshaba near Jotsholo, covering Fatima, Halfway, Gwayi, parts of Lubimbi, and up to Kapani River in Lambo after Dete. However, it has since been reduced to the region between Gwayi and Dete.
The chief mentioned that these boundary adjustments, which occurred in 2003 during discussions about a provincial capital for Matabeleland North, have negatively impacted his subjects. He emphasized that the changes were made without proper consultation, leading to confusion in the administration of his territory. He has engaged various government offices and departments to address the issue and is awaiting their feedback.
Chief Dingani-Nelukoba also revealed that he sought assistance from Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda, who hails from the same area, and is awaiting his response. The chief's subjects have strong emotional ties to the issue of boundaries, as their forefathers were the area's pioneers.
They are known as the "Nelukoba" people because they generously allocated part of their land to neighboring Sawanga (Whange) when they arrived. However, this has left Chief Dingani-Nelukoba with limited territory for administration, prompting his call for a fair resolution to the boundary issue.
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