By Morgen Makombo Sikwila
Traditional leaders undertake important roles in rural areas where 67 percent of the Zimbabwean population resides.
Their legitimacy, control and influence in rural areas remain widespread demonstrating remarkable resilience, despite facing numerous challenges.
Successive governments in both colonial and independent Zimbabwe have sought to take advantage of this institution for their respective narrow political interests. All these controversies, conflicts and complexities raise questions about developmental roles and relevance of the institution of traditional leadership in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe adopted a new Constitution in 2013 which, among other things recognises the role of the institution of traditional leadership which operates alongside modern state structures.
Traditional leaders are perceived as aligned with the ruling ZANU PF and this has brought criticism of their relevance in modern-day society anchored on democratic issues.
Despite such controversy, traditional leaders remain the most accessible and immediate form of local governance in rural areas.
Traditional leaders are charged with the facilitation of development in their respective jurisdictions through structure such as the Ward and Village assemblies.
They provide advisory and supportive roles to various ministries and agencies of the government particularly those operating at local level.
For example chiefs supervise village heads in the collection of taxes, levies, rates and charges due to rural local governments.
They also act as communication mediums of government policies, notices and directives in their respective jurisdictions.
Traditional leaders promote the maintenance of good standards of health and education in their respective jurisdictions.
Chiefs liaise and assist development committees of rural local governments in all matters relating to the planning and implementation of local development programmes.
The rural population seeks the guidance of traditional leaders on a variety of issues affecting their wellbeing, more often than that of the elected officials.
Over the years, traditional leaders have been active in mobilising people in their respective areas to support developmental projects, such as the provision of health services, water, sanitation and roads.
The government has increasingly relied on the institution of traditional leaders for the management of natural disasters and containment of epidemics in rural areas.
For example, traditional leaders are oftentimes assigned the responsibility to distribute food during droughts and the general coordination of relief programmes.
They also distribute farming inputs to rural farmers on behalf of the government and other organisations. Non-State actors such as Non-Governmental Organisations also work in collaboration with traditional leaders when implementing most of their projects in rural areas.
Thus, traditional leaders play important developmental and coordinative roles in their respective areas by among other means, serving as intermediaries between both state and Non-State actors and the rural populace.
Traditional leaders are better positioned to identify the needs and preferences of rural communities because of their physical proximity to the people.
Traditional leaders demonstrate remarkable resilience, a strength which modern state should seek to capitalise on in a bid to foster development, democracy and peace.
However, there is a whole systematic campaign that includes propaganda and aspersions to soil the institution of traditional leaders just because they have been motorised so as to be better carry out their duties as prescribed by the Constitution.
The institution of traditional leaders needs to be forever capacitated and respected.
Morgen Makombo Sikwila
MSc Peace and Governance
BSc Counselling
Diploma in Environmental Health
Certificate in Marketing Management
