News / National
Mnangagwa restores Mudzimu chieftaincy
25 Jul 2018 at 07:14hrs | Views
President Mnangagwa has restored the Mudzimu chieftaincy, which was relegated to headmanship by the white minority regime 63 years ago.
The has seen Headman Mudzimu - Mr Joseph Mudzimu - being elevated to a chief with effect from May 10 this year. His installation is set for tomorrow.
In an interview yesterday, Hurungwe District Administrator Ms Makepeace Muzenda said recommendations for upgrading Headman Mudzimu were made following findings by a commission set by Government.
She said the commission had held full consultations with traditional leaders in Hurungwe District, adding that Chief Mudzimu had previously presided over Chirundu and the surrounding areas along the Zambezi Valley before being demoted for insubordination.
In 1955, the traditional leader and his subjects were moved to what is now Ward 13 in Hurungwe under a programme that was aimed at paving way for the construction of Lake Kariba. The chief thus became the first traditional leader to be moved to Hurungwe before others, including Chief Dandawa, who were also relocated from the Zambezi Valley under the same programme.
Ms Muzenda said although Chief Mudzimu's relegation was meant to expire after a period of two years, the chieftaincy was never restored until this year.
"Efforts to restore the Mudzimu chieftancy were stalled by some interested parties," she said.
"President Mnangagwa has been very supportive of restoring it while redressing anomalies created by the whites.
"This was also detected long back, with the upgrade having initially been set for 2008. "Hurungwe now has nine chieftainships - Chanetsa, Chundu, Dandawa, Dendera, Kazangarare, Mujinga, Mudzimu, Nematombo and Nyamhunga."
This is the second time a chieftaincy downgraded to headmanship by the white colonial rule has been restored in Hurungwe.
In 2015, Government also restored the Chanetsa chieftaincy after it was downgraded to headmanship by the whites in 1950. This was a result of a heated altercation between Chief Muzarabani Chanetsa and a white district commissioner nicknamed Nyamambishi.
Chief Chanetsa had pointed a gun at Nyamambishi in protest against plans to move him further away from where he was settled with his people. Following the restoration, Headman Chanetsa - Mr Adam Katsvere - became the fifth Chief Chanetsa of Hurungwe.
The has seen Headman Mudzimu - Mr Joseph Mudzimu - being elevated to a chief with effect from May 10 this year. His installation is set for tomorrow.
In an interview yesterday, Hurungwe District Administrator Ms Makepeace Muzenda said recommendations for upgrading Headman Mudzimu were made following findings by a commission set by Government.
She said the commission had held full consultations with traditional leaders in Hurungwe District, adding that Chief Mudzimu had previously presided over Chirundu and the surrounding areas along the Zambezi Valley before being demoted for insubordination.
In 1955, the traditional leader and his subjects were moved to what is now Ward 13 in Hurungwe under a programme that was aimed at paving way for the construction of Lake Kariba. The chief thus became the first traditional leader to be moved to Hurungwe before others, including Chief Dandawa, who were also relocated from the Zambezi Valley under the same programme.
Ms Muzenda said although Chief Mudzimu's relegation was meant to expire after a period of two years, the chieftaincy was never restored until this year.
"President Mnangagwa has been very supportive of restoring it while redressing anomalies created by the whites.
"This was also detected long back, with the upgrade having initially been set for 2008. "Hurungwe now has nine chieftainships - Chanetsa, Chundu, Dandawa, Dendera, Kazangarare, Mujinga, Mudzimu, Nematombo and Nyamhunga."
This is the second time a chieftaincy downgraded to headmanship by the white colonial rule has been restored in Hurungwe.
In 2015, Government also restored the Chanetsa chieftaincy after it was downgraded to headmanship by the whites in 1950. This was a result of a heated altercation between Chief Muzarabani Chanetsa and a white district commissioner nicknamed Nyamambishi.
Chief Chanetsa had pointed a gun at Nyamambishi in protest against plans to move him further away from where he was settled with his people. Following the restoration, Headman Chanetsa - Mr Adam Katsvere - became the fifth Chief Chanetsa of Hurungwe.
Source - the herald
