Stephen Chadenga
Chirumanzu chieftainship aspirant Julius Chimbi Chigegwe has dismissed as “misinformed” allegations by Local Government minister Daniel Garwe that he (Chigegwe) fraudulently wants to be the next Chief Chirumanzu and maintained he is the rightful heir to the throne.
Last month Chigegwe made an application to the High Court to reclaim the Chirumanzu chieftainship which he said was wrongly bestowed on Abraham Nyamande. Nyamande has since been appointed substantive Chief Chirumanzu but royal family members opposed to the ascendancy are still fighting his appointment at the High Court.
In his notice of opposition to Chigegwe’s application dated August 28 and received by the High Court of Zimbabwe, Harare Civil Division on September 1 under case number HCH 4096/25, Garwe stated:
“The Chirumanzu chieftainship follows a collateral system of succession between two houses that is the Nherera and Mutizirapi (Simba)
Thus the chieftainship rotates between two houses only.
“There is no proof to substantiate whether the applicant (Chigegwe) is a descendant of the Nherera house. It is the mandate of the clan to select the candidate who will then be selected to select the next chief of the clan.”
Garwe said the first and second respondents (himself Garwe as Local Government minister and Midlands provincial chiefs assembly) respectively rely on the candidates who have been selected to choose the next chief in line with the Constitution and the Traditional Leaders Act (chapter 29:17), the customs and practices of the area concerned.
“The applicant has been seeking to have a fraudulent nomination since 2021,”said Garwe.
“The Chigegwe sub-house has been lying in vain to become chiefs.”
But in his response to Garwe’s notice of opposition, Chimbi Chigegwe said:
“It is clear from the tone of the affidavits that the respondent clearly fail to understand the nature and context of my application. In fact, l am surprised and shocked that in deed there has been an opposing affidavit filed out of abundance of caution. My response should be looked at as whole and not necessarily in isolation.”
Chigegwe maintained that he was son of the Chirumanzu royal house, descendants of Mhepo from the house of Nherera and Mutizirapi to which Chirumanzu chieftainship rotates.
“The chieftainship rotates not only between two houses as alleged but alternates between different branches as houses within the royal family of the same clan,”he said.
“A chief is selected from the next royal house by order of seniority and when a chief dies the next chief is selected from the next royal house by order of seniority untill all the eligible houses of Chirumanzu chieftainship have had their chances.”
Chigegwe cited “serious irregularities” that failed to meet criteria in the nomination of Nyamande.
Nyamande was in July installed as Chief Chirumanzu despite a pending High Court order HCH920/25 which challenged his nomination.
Minutes of meetings held in October 2020 seen by The Blast however show that the Nherera and Mutizirapi houses agreed and selected Chigegwe as the next heir to the Chirumanzu chieftainship.