Chief Tshovani appointed after years of vacancy

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed substantive traditional leaders for the Bere and Tshovani chieftainships, ending prolonged periods of acting leadership in Masvingo province.

The appointments, made on February 7, 2026, saw Petros Murombe Mahweshe assume the Bere chieftainship, while Victor Renias Chiromo was installed as Chief Tshovani. The appointments were made in terms of Section 283 of the Constitution and the Traditional Leaders Act.

Masvingo acting District Development Coordinator Joyce Chikugu confirmed that Mahweshe's appointment formalises leadership of a clan whose chieftainship was abolished 125 years ago during colonial rule.

The Bere chieftainship, of the Shumba totem, stretches from Mashava westwards to Bhuka in the south-east, bordering the chieftainships of Zimuto, Charumbira and Chivi.

It was originally disbanded in 1925 by the colonial administration, paving the way for the 1930 Land Apportionment Act, which resulted in the seizure of Bere clan land for white commercial farming. Following resistance to the land dispossession, members of the Bere clan were dispersed to areas including Zaka, Gutu and Chirumhanzi, while others remained in Mashava.

The chieftainship was revived in 2019 when President Mnangagwa installed the late Phineas Tafirei as the first substantive Chief Bere in nearly a century.

However, Tafirei's tenure was short-lived. He died in 2021 at the age of 85, after which his son, Phineas Tafirei Junior, served as acting chief until Mahweshe's recent appointment.

The restoration process has not been without controversy. In 2018, some aggrieved clan members challenged the appointment process in court. The chieftainship has also faced boundary disputes with neighbouring chiefs, with tensions occasionally surfacing at community events.

In Chiredzi district, Victor Renias Chiromo has been appointed substantive Chief Tshovani, filling a vacancy that arose following the death of Chief Hlaisi Mundau in July 2021.

Chiredzi District Development Coordinator Lovemore Chisema confirmed the appointment in a letter dated February 17, 2026.

The Tshovani chieftainship has experienced a turbulent succession period. Mundau's eldest son, Felix, initially served as acting chief but died in 2023. Eddmore Mundau subsequently acted in the role until Chiromo's appointment.

The chieftainship has previously been at the centre of disputes in Chiredzi. In 2019, tensions emerged after Government revived the Neromwe chieftainship in wards that had fallen under Chief Tshovani's jurisdiction, prompting legal challenges.

The appointments bring stability to two historically significant chieftainships and are expected to strengthen traditional governance structures in Masvingo province.

Under Zimbabwe's Constitution, traditional leaders play a key role in community governance, cultural preservation and dispute resolution.