RUTENDO CHIRUME
MASVINGO-The guests who attended the official renaming of Roger Howman Training Centre to Maud Muzenda got more than what they had come for as chiefs Bere and Charumbira people played out in open their rivalry which sometimes turns bloody.
The shameful clashes happened on February 16 where the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Monica Mutsvangwa was officiating at the renaming of the training centre and commissioning the newly built female dormitories to be used by the trainees.
During the ceremony the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Masvingo Provincial Development Officer, Joseph Mupinga who was the events director during the ceremony invited Chief Bere’s nephew to do a welcome address as per protocol.
“At this point I would like to invite chief Bere’s nephew so that he can help us to recognise and welcome our traditional leader who is amongst us ….,” he said.
However, before he finished, women from Chief Charumbira rose in disapproval from the crowd and started reciting his clan names and totem declaring that the place was in under his jurisdiction.
“Shumba, Sipambi Charumbira…,, . (Pano pandakatsika panoti Charumbira, Kana muchida kti tikonane itai zvamuri kuita , panodonha munhu pano nhasi).
In an interview with The Midweek Watch Mupinga said he did not witness the fracas during the ceremony.
“I did not witness anything of that nature, I know nothing about that issue,” said Mupinga.
The boundary dispute between Chief Charumbira and Chief Bere dates back to the time the latter’s chieftainship was restored in 2017.
This resulted in parts of Chief Charumbira being incorporated in Chief Bere’s area of jurisdiction.