By Regerai Tukutuku
Local government public works rural and urban development minister Ignatius Chombo and other senior Zanu Pf officials in Masvingo have defied a high court which provisionally barred them from installing Boniface Musara as chief Musara and went on to crown him chief at a colorful ceremony held at Musara’s homestead a few kilometers east of Masvingo city last week.
Chombo who sent Power and Energy development minister Dzikamai Mavhaire to represent him at the function went on to install Musara as chief despite justice Maria Zimba-Dube’s a provisional high court order barring the installation.
Mavhaire who was accompanied by tourism and hospitality minister engineer Walter Mzembi went on to install Muasara and argued that no one had the power to bar president Mugabe from exercising his power when he appointed Musara chief.
Mzembi said he was representing Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti at the ceremony.
“The president of the republic of Zimbabwe has sent us here to come and install chief Musara and we wonder where some people are getting their power to go against the president’s wish,”said Mzembi.
Mavhaire who was the guest of honor said he had been sent by Chombo after consultations with the president to crown Musara chief hence there was no one who could stop the function under whichever circumstances.
“The president has sent us and we are just complying with the president’s order and directive ,”said Mavhaire. “We have heard somewhere that there some people who are not happy and who want to stop this function but we are saying where are they coming from and what powers do they have to oppose President Robert Mugabe,”said Mavhaire.
Mavhaire later crowned Musara cheif and gave him his traditional gown and hat . Several Zanu PF supporters witnessed the ceremony.
Chief Kadiwa Chikwanda filed an urgent high application seeking an order to stop the installation of Bonface as chief Musara. Chikwanda argued that the traditional leaders act was not followed when Musara who was headman was heading for the chieftainship.
Chikwanda argued according to the traditional leaders Act there should be enough consultations with the community and other elders in an area before one is crowned chief.
Musara who was headman Musara was given a piece of land near Mutimurefu prison by Chief Chikwanda during the height of the land reform programme.
However relations between Chikwanda and Musara have since soured and Chief Chikawanda wants Musara to be stripped of his headman ship arguing that he was the one who gave him the whole piece of land which Musara now claims to be under his jurisdiction.
Chikwanda cited Chombo as the first respondent, while Masvingo provincial administrator Felix Chikovo and provincial affairs minister Bhasikiti were also cited as respondents.
Justice Zimba -Dube gave Chombo and the other respondents ten days to respond or show cause when a final order should not be granted in favor of chief Chikwanda.
This is not the first time that Chombo has been dragged to court over chieftainship. Recently the crowning of chief Budzi in Bikita had to be stopped on the eve of installation after one of the family members filed an urgent application in the same court. The Zimbabwean
