Mnangagwa dragged into school fight

Traditional leader Chief Murinye, born Ephias Munodawafa, has involved President Emmerson Mnangagwa in a dispute over what he describes as corruption and the unlawful establishment of a private school in his area.

The controversy erupted on Monday when Chief Murinye blocked learners from accessing Riverton Academy Murinye Extension, a school he claims was built without proper approval and remains unregularised. The school is linked to Masvingo businessman Philemon Mutangiri, and the blockade led to a tense standoff requiring government intervention following an altercation between Murinye and Mutangiri at the site.

"I have written to the president of the Chiefs Council, Chief Khumalo, and copied the President and other government officials to challenge the operation of an unregularised school in my area," Murinye said. He added that he was intimidated by the army when he attempted to address the issue, insisting that the Constitution should guide actions in such matters.

Mutangiri accused the chief of seeking "endless freebies," including free education for his children, claims Murinye strongly denied. He said he has never relied on Mutangiri for personal benefits, citing that he spent US$20,000 per year on his son's studies in Malaysia. Murinye also clarified that electricity connections at his new residence were arranged by Mutangiri independently and prior to the school dispute.

The chief warned that allowing the school to operate without following due process would normalise corruption and undermine governance in rural areas. He alleged that the school was built clandestinely with the cooperation of some village heads and deliberately concealed from authorities. In a letter dated August 8, 2025, Murinye and several headmen formally advised Mutangiri to halt construction until proper procedures were followed.

A government delegation visited the site recently, but Murinye said the intervention came too late. Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira confirmed that while paperwork for regularisation is being processed, construction had proceeded ahead of formal approval. He said the government viewed the school as a development initiative but emphasised that construction should comply with regularisation requirements.