STAKEHOLDERS in Ntabazinduna, Matabeleland North, have voiced frustration over government’s delay in installing a substantive chief, saying the hold-up is stalling local development and weakening governance structures.
The leadership vacuum, now more than three years old, has left the community without a formal traditional authority to oversee dispute resolution, development initiatives and social order — creating uncertainty and, according to local sources, contributing to a rise in crime, including illegal gold panning.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the removal of Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni through Zvinechimwe Churu, then Local Government and Public Works secretary. Churu wrote to the Matabeleland North Provincial Assembly of Chiefs announcing Ndiweni’s removal as the area’s traditional leader, effective November 30 2019.
The decision followed a recommendation by Zanu PF-aligned provincial chiefs that Ndiweni be removed on the basis that he was not next in line for the chieftaincy. The letter directed local officials to seize a government-issued truck and the chief’s regalia, with police assistance if necessary and liaise with the Ndiweni clan to select a candidate for appointment.
Mbuso Fuzwayo, secretary of Ibhetshu LikaZulu, told Southern Eye that it was unfortunate the dispute remains unresolved.
“Chiefs are central in the daily lives of their subjects; they are leaders of development and settling disputes in their communities,” he told Southern Eye.
“Even the Gukurahundi programme that is happening and being led by chiefs, it was going to be a good thing for people in Ntabazinduna to be led by their chief.”
Ntabazinduna headman Mathilika Khumalo said the family supported Ndiweni as the rightful candidate but stressed that the matter was ultimately up to government.
“The family sat down and came to a decision to appoint him as the chief after some due diligence. It is not up to us to decide who to select, but it remains a family issue,” he said.
Khumalo said he was under pressure, in some instances, to preside over issues, adding that procedural issues were passed on from village heads to the headman, then to the chief, depending on their gravity.
“Now I am have to make sure that the decision that I make should not backfire,” Khumalo said.
Sources have also reported a rise in crime, including illegal gold panning and other vices, as a result of the leadership vacuum. Efforts to obtain a comment from Umguza Rural District Council were unsuccessful at the time of going to press