Ndeya Nyede
Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – The royal Bota family is calling for the reopening of the chief’s court so that matters that arise can be openly heard once again.
The traditional court stopped functioning over a year ago after serious intra-family disputes between the sons of the late Chief Bota Chiyo Mugabe who died in 2016.
The late chief’s sons; Naboth and Peter Mugabe stand accused of corrupting the chieftaincy in their fight for control.
Speaking to TellZim News this week, a family member; George Charuka said it had now been resolved that Zezai Charuka, who is younger brother to the late chief, be made acting chief.
He said the acting chief would be expected to reconvene the court system to ensure that the normal traditional judicial processes can resume.
“The Charuka family has nominated Zezai Charuka to be the acting chief to ensure continuity since he is the oldest family member and younger brother to the late chief whose own sons have both failed,” said Charuka.
Another source who preferred anonymity said the clansmen recently visited the provincial administrator (PA), Fungai Mbetsa and the Minister of State for Masvingo provincial Affairs, Josaya Hungwe over the issue.
“We recently visited the PA and Minister Hungwe who said the DA should handle the matter. They said the court could be opened but the installation of the chief will be done after elections,” said the source.
Zaka District Administrator (DA) Ndeya Nyede had earlier told TellZim News that authorities were waiting for the families to resolve their differences so that an acting chief could be appointed.
“There is no chief at the moment and we are currently waiting for the family to decide and put forward a new name to act as chief. We do not want the vacuum which exists so we are doing everything in our capacity to make sure they make the decision quickly.
“There are squabbles within the family and if they fail to solve them, we will intervene. At the moment, headmen in the area are sitting and solving disputes that arise,” said Nyede.
Before his death, Chiyo Mugabe relied on his elder son Naboth to be his assessor since he was too old to do his duties but the old chief later relieved him of the duties after he reportedly abused that role.
Naboth was accused of not consulting the chief when making decisions and taking the chief’s personal car for his own personal use.
Mugabe then appointed his second son Peter who became the assessor until the death of his father in 2016, sparking a dispute on who deserved the throne.
Parallel courts were sat, with the two sons dividing the headmen between themselves until the DA’s office intervened by closing the court system altogether.local
