CHIEF Beperere of the Gushungo clan was rejected by his subjects during a ceremony to welcome him at Rasper Farm in Zvimba East constituency last Friday.
BY Winona Mudarikwa
Beperere, born Alfred Tome who is also Harare provincial administrator, was installed as a substantive chief by President Robert Mugabe at a colourful ceremony at Murombedzi business centre late last year.
However, he has faced fierce resistance from his subjects living in the Nharira Hills area near Norton who have accused him of imposing himself on them.
The villagers, mostly followers of Sekuru Mushore, claimed that the area fell under Chief Nyamweda, born Pasipanodya Kawanzaruwa.
Tempers flared at the meeting when Zvimba East MP Francis Mukwangwariwa announced that the whole of the Chivero area was part of Zvimba and proposed that Lake Chivero, formerly Lake McIlwaine, be renamed Lake Zvimba.
Police had to intervene and force some of the most vocal villagers to leave the meeting while others walked away in protest.
Zvimba district administrator Andrew Tizora and local councillor Ngoni Kanyasa attended the meeting.
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When Chief Beperere took to the podium, he downplayed the controversy surrounding his appointment saying his mandate was to spearhead development in the area.
The wrangle between the Gushungo and Mushore families started long back with the latter refusing to be subservient to traditional leaders from Zvimba area.
The Beperere chieftaincy has also been riddled with wrangles including one where Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo unsuccessfully attempted to impose one Mathias Matare of the Dununu family as Chief Beperere.
