New twist to Negomo chieftainship wrangle

The Negomo Chieftainship wrangle has taken a radical twist with the incumbent, Luscious Chitsinde dragging claimant to the throne David Gweshe to his community court on allegations that he was in an incestuous marriage.

According to the summons dated January 1, 2018, Chitsinde ordered Gweshe to appear at the community court to answer to charges of marrying a relative.

If convicted, states the summons, Gweshe is to pay a beast and a sheep for defiling the land.

The summons were sent to both Gweshe and his wife, Rosemary Dambaza.

The Daily News saw a copy of the summons addressed to Dambaza, which demanded their presence at the court.

"Uya nemurume wako utitsanangurire kuti sei muri mukadzi nemurume imi muri paukama. Mukabatwa nemhosva munoripa mombe nehwai. (Come with your husband and explain to the court why you are husband and wife when you are relatives). If found guilty, you will pay a fine of a beast and sheep)," the summons read.

However, the trial failed to take place after Gweshe, who is vehemently denying the charges, failed to turn up for the trial arguing that Chitsinde had no right to summon him since he was not the legitimate chief of the area.

Gweshe also says Chitsinde is offside, arguing that his wife of six years was not his relative since she is of the Mhofu totem while he is of the Shumba dynasty.

He also alleges that the attempt to drag him to his court was only a strategy to tarnish his image and dent his chances of successfully claiming his rightful chieftainship.

"I protested against this baseless summoning which has no claimant and is driven by baseless accusations. I am not related to her in any way, we are diametrically different and there is no relation whatsoever," said Gweshe in an interview with the Daily News yesterday.

"I did not go to his court," he said.

The summons further stipulated that failure by the Gweshe couple to attend the court amounted to contempt of court, an offense punishable by paying a fine of two goats.

Chitsinde also wanted Gweshe to pay $35 as an administration fee on arrival at the court.

"He is extorting people in the same way he attempted to extort (Morgan) Tsvangirai some time ago. His aim is to tarnish my image, but he will not succeed. After all, incest is a State crime, why did he not report me to police if I committed any," said Gweshe.

Chitsinde could not be reached for comment as he was not answering calls on his mobile phone.

Gweshe is laying claim to the chieftainship and wants to change it from Negomo to Gwangwadza arguing that the Chitsindes are not the rightful successors to the throne since they illegitimately wrested it from the Ngwangwadza clan during the colonial era.

Last month, Gweshe's lawyers wrote to Local Government minister July Moyo asking him to expedite the appointment of their client as the substantive chief following a decision in October last year by the Mashonaland Central provincial Chief's Council to restore the chieftainship to the Gwangwadza family at a meeting in Bindura and petitioned government to install Gweshe as the substantive chief of the area.

The chieftainship's territory is located in Mazowe in Mashonaland Central province.