THE Chirumanzu chieftainship wrangle has taken yet another twist following a High Court application to set aside nomination proceedings which saw Abraham Nyamande selected and appointed substantive chief.
In the High Court application, John Marinda, Innocent Chapwanya, Albert Jonasi Zvidzai and Ecknos Happiness Mutyanda are cited as first to fourth applicants, respectively.
Local Government and Public Works minister and Midlands Provincial Chiefs Assembly and Abraham Nyamande were cited as first to third respondents.
In their heads of argument, the applicants noted that a meeting was convened on June 6, 2024, at the behest of the first and second respondents, whose purpose was to select a candidate for the office of Chief Chirumanzu, which process they argued was not properly done.
“After the meeting first and second respondents came up with the third respondent (Nyamande) as their preferred candidate,” submitted their lawyers, Kufaruwenga and Associates Legal Practitioners.
“Applicants contend that the proceedings for the nomination of the third respondent were fraught with irregularities and violated provisions of the Administrative Justice Act (Chapter 10:28), the Constitution and the Traditional Leaders Act (Chapter 29:17) and ought to be set aside,” the lawyers said.
The lawyers further submitted that the respondents failed to file a notice of opposition within the stipulated time.
They submitted that the respondents were served with court applications this year on March 3, February 28 and March 4, respectively and were supposed to file their opposing papers on March 18, only to do so a day later.
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The applicants averred that during the June 6, 2024, proceedings, the first and second respondents allowed 11 people from the Simba sub-house to air their views but only gave three people from the Nherera house an opportunity to do so.
They further argued that the first and second respondents failed to be neutral adjudicators in handling the nomination of the chieftainship candidate.
In March this year, Local Government minister Daniel Garwe, however, said due process was followed in nominating the candidate.
He said the Nherera house was the last to provide a candidate for chieftainship (the late Chief Gerald Mudzengi) and that, in the spirit of rotation, it was now the Simba house's turn assume the chieftainship.
But minutes of meetings held in October 2020, seen by Southern Eye, show that the Nherera and Mutizirapi houses agreed and selected Julius Chimbi Chigegwe as the next heir to the throne.
Their argument, according to the documents, was that over the years, the Nherera house has had few chances for the chieftainship; hence, in the spirit of fairness, they nominated Chigegwe to be the next Chief Chirumanzu.
