Mnangagwa appoints CIO operative Chief without due process

CONTROVERSY has erupted over the appointment of Silas Chikwanda as Chief Chikwanda in Masvingo Province, with family members alleging that President Mnangagwa confirmed the appointment without following due process or consulting the relevant Chikwanda houses.

Members of the Chikwanda family, including Samson Chizu and Peter Chikwanda, described the appointment as sudden and in total disregard of both the law and longstanding local traditions. According to the families, the selection of a chief should follow established customs, including meetings of family members and formal recommendations.

In possession of a Cabinet minute dated November 28, 2025, and signed by President Mnangagwa, Silas is confirmed as Chief Chikwanda with immediate effect. However, family members said there was no prior consultation or meeting to discuss the appointment, and they expressed shock that Silas was chosen ahead of his brother Peter, who had been selected at a family meeting to serve as acting chief.

Ironically, Silas, who had also been appointed acting chief previously without family knowledge, is reportedly attached to the Ministry of Local Government, which oversees the appointment of traditional leaders, working within Minister Daniel Garwe's office. His appointment was further reinforced by a memo from Masvingo Acting District Development Coordinator, Joyce Chikugu, sent on January 7, 2026, notifying the eight Chikwanda houses of his confirmation.

Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya, confirmed that the Cabinet minute is authentic but referred further questions to Felix Chikovo, Chief Director in charge of Traditional Leaders Support Services at the Ministry of Local Government. Chikovo said the matter is currently before the courts and declined to comment.

Masvingo Provincial Chiefs' Assembly chairperson, Chief Chitanga of Mwenezi, said no proper selection process had been carried out for the substantive Chief Chikwanda and no name had been forwarded to the President by the eligible families. National Chiefs' Council President Chief Mtshane Khumalo agreed, confirming that no selection process had been conducted since the death of the late Chief Kadiwa Chikwanda.

Attempts to reach Silas Chikwanda for comment were unsuccessful, with the chief referring all inquiries to his lawyer and subsequently failing to respond. Minister Garwe could also not be reached for comment.

The Chikwanda family described the appointment as unlawful and destabilising, arguing that it undermines the integrity of traditional leadership. They have petitioned Minister Garwe, stating that succession in the Chikwanda clan is meant to rotate among the clan's houses according to established customs, rather than pass directly from father to son.

Family documents also show that a meeting to select an acting chief was held on February 23, 2024, at Zishumbe Primary School, attended by Chiefs Chitanga, Nhema, Mazungunye, and four Ministry of Local Government officials. That meeting selected Peter Chikwanda as acting chief and awarded him the chief's badge. However, Cabinet minutes from October 23, 2024, instead appointed Silas as acting chief, leading to the creation of a second badge.

Silas was later appointed substantive chief on November 28, 2025, even though the two-year mourning period had not yet lapsed. The Chikwanda family has since challenged both appointments in the High Court under cases HCH5689/24 and HCH4797/25, insisting that their customs and constitutional provisions governing traditional leadership have been ignored.