SOME village heads in Matobo, Matabeleland South Province, have clashed with traditional leader Chief Nyangazonke over the illegal parcelling of land in the area.
The stand-off between Chief Nyangazonke and his subjects was revealed during a meeting held in Madwaleni village in Kezi on Wednesday.
During the meeting, Chief Nyangazonke accused some village heads of impersonation before filing a police report.
“I have realised that there are people who are claiming to be village heads. At the same time, I have said that if you are to take an office, everything must be in order because you cannot run an office without a title,” he said.
“They are refusing to bring minutes of their meeting together with fingerprints so that they are captured by the system. They are parcelling out a stand which is a criminal offence. The process must be thorough.”
The village heads, however, accused the chief of lacking transparency, with some adding that they had worked with him for more than a decade in their capacities as village heads, a case that was confirmed by the police who said they had been using the same traditional leaders in clearing livestock.
One of the village heads, Albert Ndiweni, told the meeting that it was wrong for the traditional leader to embarrass them in front of the public by accusing them of being criminals.
“He is my son, I have been the village head for more than 10 years. I am surprised now to be called an impersonator. I have not parcelled out land. He is the one who was giving me orders to distribute the land and I am pleading not guilty to this case of parcelling out stands,” Ndiweni said.
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Another village head, who identified himself as Moyo from Maphenduka, said he did not beg to be a village head.
“I have been a village head for more than five years after I was given this task by the Jonathan Maphenduka family. I did not beg for this. We will meet on Friday. If he does not like me, I will step down. I have nothing to lose,’’ Moyo fumed.
About five villagers were accused of impersonation and allegedly parcelling out the land in the district.
Land disputes in Matobo have increased since last year, when villagers accused traditional leaders of settling people from outside the district on land meant for grazing.
