Stephen Chadenga
Frantic efforts to install Abraham Nyamande as substantive Chief Chirumanzu have stalled pending a High Court application to set aside nomination proceedings which saw Nyamande selected and appointed as substantive chief Chirumanzu, The Blast has learnt.
Nyamande from the Simba sub-house is embroiled in a controversial nomination procedure that saw him chosen as the candidate to be the next traditional leader in the Chirumanzu chieftainship.
In the past weeks preparations were being made for the installation ceremony scheduled for Thursday May 29.
Although chairman of the Simba sub-house Cuthbert Jumo Bangure advised interested parties to the Chirumanzu chieftainship that the ceremony had been postponed due to government budget constraints, investigations by this publication have since shown that a High Court decision on the challenge to Nyamande’s nomination set for next month has put plugs to the installation ceremony.
“I regret to inform that the installation of the 18th Chief Chirumanzu scheduled for May 29 has been postponed,”Nyamande said in an audio voice note posted in various Chirumanzu chieftainship and development Whatsapp groups.
“Government will advise us of the new date but at the moment they (government) are saying they still have to meet the budget resources for the ceremony. Government has said when resources are available at the Ministry of Finance they will advise us of the new date.”
But in a High Court application case number HCH920/25 dated 13 May 2025 the parties involved including John Marinda, Innocent Chapwanya, Albert Jonasi Zvidzai and Ecknos Happiness Mutyanda cited as applicants and the minister of Local Government and Public Works and National Housing (Daniel Garwe), Midlands provincial chiefs assembly and Abraham Nyamande cited as respondents, the High Court civil division said the matter challenging the nomination procedure would be heard on June 9.
“Take notice that the above court application (High Court of Zimbabwe case HCH920/25) will be heard and determined physically by the High Court of Zimbabwe at Harare before Honourable Justice Dembure J on Monday the 9th day of June 2025 at 09.00 or soon thereafter as counsel may be heard,”read the notice.
The bone of contention in the High Court application is that the respondents failed to exercise due diligence in the selection and nomination procedure for the next heir to the throne.
In March this year Garwe however said due process was followed in nominating the candidate. He said the Nherera house was the last to provide a candidate for chieftainship (the late Chief Gerald Mudzengi) and that in the spirit of rotation it was now the Simba house’s turn to the chieftainship.
But minutes of meetings held in October 2020 seen by this publication show that the Nherera and Mutizirapi house’s agreed and selected Julius Chimbi Chigegwe as the next heir to the Chirumanzu chieftainship.
According to the documents their argument is that over the years the Nherera house has had few chances to the chieftainship hence in the spirit of fairness nominated Chigegwe to be the next Chief Chirumanzu.