…charges US$30 for a compulsory register copy
Brighton Chiseva
Nyajena – Acting Chief Nyajena is reportedly making a lot of money from village heads whom he is compelling to pay US$ 30 for a register which each village head is expected to have.
Village heads who spoke to TellZim News said they were asked to get copies of registers which each village head should have and pay US$ 30 per copy which the Chief claims is for his stamp.
Ward 25 councillor Livison Mudzonga confirmed the development and said the Chief was not charging for the register but his stamp which he charges US$ 25 for ordinary documents stamping.
“It is true village heads were given registers by the Chief. The registers are for free but the Chief’s stamp which is on every register is charged. However, when he came to our ward some village heads could not collect the registers since they had no money on them and will have to get money first,” said Mudzonga.
When asked on the importance of the registers, Mudzonga said each village head should have a list of households, in the register, each household has its own page with a list of members. When one dies, he/she is taken off the register with each new born being entered also in the register. The register will be used for planning purposes especially on social welfare aid distribution.
Contacted for comment Masvingo District Development Coordinator Roy Hove said there was no acting Chief Nyajena saying he was not aware of such a development.
“What I can say is there is no acting Chief Nyajena as it stands. We are in the process of selecting a substantive Chief since the acting Chief died this year. On that issue, I cannot comment on it because my office is not aware of it,” said Hove.
One of the former Chief’s officials Josias Hurudza from ward 23 also confirmed the development and said village heads from his area got the registers and no one was complaining.
One village head said the Chief was trying to fleece them money at a time when life is difficult for most of the rural folks saying the latter should sympathize with subjects.
“We are enduring difficult times here in rural areas, people are busy preparing for the farming season and on the other hand most people have no food. So we are forced to get the money from our subjects who have no money. So this is not fair at all,” said the village head.
Another village head said the money was too much considering the number of villages in his area saying US$ 5 was a reasonable figure.
“The Chief is milking us, $US30 for a stamp alone, that’s day light robbery. We understand that we have to pay something to him but that is too much. If he had asked for US$ 5, I don’t think we would be complaining.
“Imagine he has more than 100 villages under his jurisdiction and it means he will get more than US$ 3000 from the registers,” said the village head.
