Oldest Chief Nyamondo dies aged 102

The Zimbabwe's oldest Chief Nyamondo born Runesu Solomon Gore (102) of Mberengwa has died.

The chief attracted the attention of a nearby Chief Ngungumbane's subject Nothiwani Dlodlo last year when his plight seemed desperate and neglected.

Dlodlo had to write to the Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government asking for intervention to aid the traditional leader during this time of need.

Chief Nyamondo was born on July 15 1920 and has turned 101 amid concerns that his home and state does not resemble someone who is a communal traditional leader despite the government's responsibility to take care for the elderly and worse for that matter a traditional leader.

He died on Tuesday  at his home in Mberengwa.

In a letter dated September 1 directed to the Permsec, Dlodlo had expressed concerns over the state of neglect that he said the Chief has been subjected to by the government.

"Chief Nyamondo is the eldest Chief in Zimbabwe born on 15 July 1920 as Runesu Solomon Gore. My visit to his homestead has  forced me  to write  this letter. What I found  is that in 2013  the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa)  in Mataga removed electricity transformers  from his home  and to date  there is no  electricity at Chief's homestead. We have tried to engage Zesa Mataga to rectify this problem through the President's Office Mataga but nothing has materialized," reads the letter.

"Borehole at the Chief's homestead is not working. General living conditions of Zimbabwe's most senior citizen (101) years deserves some attention from your highly esteemed office. He needs assistance in accessing bank cash from his allowance and servicing of his vehicle."

Dlodlo said even if he survives one hour from the rectification of the mentioned problems, he deserves it as the most senior citizen who is at leadership level.

 Mberengwa District Development Coordinator Ndeya Nyede had dismissed Dlodlo's claims describing him as a controversial character who seeks relevance through attacking other people.

"The author of that letter does not even reside in Chief Nyamondo's area. He has issues that he wants to settle, he is a controversial character. At some point he was applying for a business stand to construct a Mall in Ngungumbane and he was denied. Now he is trying to get sympathy from Chief Nyamondo," Nyede said.

"The transformer he writes about is there but the Chief's home is not tubed and Zesa cannot connect without tubing. Tubing is not the responsibility of the government. On the borehole, the District Development Fund is responsible for it and when I checked with them they said it was functioning."

Nyede said Dlodlo is just taking advantage of Nyamondo to settle his scores and at some point he insulted Chief Ngungumbane over his business proposal.

"He is just ruffling feathers with everyone and must not be taken seriously. The Chief's car, an Isuzu, is functioning and is being used by his son since the Chief is old and cannot use it. I checked with the son and the vehicle is functioning and serviced. Also to note is that it is written nowhere that Chiefs vehicles should be serviced by the government," he said.

"We however, are very much concerned about Chief Nyamondo's welfare and Dlodlo has no jurisdiction to comment about him, he cannot know more about him than us."