BY STAFF REPORTER
Parliament has raised concern over increasing disputes over traditional leadership, with lawmakers warning that contested chiefdoms are undermining governance and development in rural communities.
Moving a motion in the National Assembly, Hwange West MP, Vusumuzi Moyo said the growing number of chieftainship disputes posed a threat to peace and cultural heritage.
“I rise today to debate on a matter which I believe is a matter of national importance, the growing prevalence of disputed chiefdoms across Zimbabwe and the serious threat that these poses to peace, governance, development, and the preservation of our cultural heritage,” Moyo told Parliament.
He said many disputes date back to distortions created during the colonial period.
“Some of these disputes… emanate from colonial times… when the colonial masters moved in. When they moved in, we already had governing structures,” he said.
Moyo also referenced communities in Hwange District, saying colonial relocations disrupted traditional governance systems.
“I remember in the constituency that I come from, most of these people… had been resettled from far-off lands, fertile lands, and dumped in Hwange District,” he said.
He warned that unresolved leadership disputes weaken governance at grassroots level.
“Madam Speaker, when a chiefdom becomes disputed, those constitutional functions grind to a halt. Customary courts lose legitimacy. Land allocations become contested. Development programmes stall,” he said.
Moyo urged Government to establish clearer succession procedures for traditional leaders.
“It is my sincere hope that… we could start the conversation of trying to restore our culture by providing the necessary legislation to make sure that we cure all this,” he said.