The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
THE truth undergoes three phases — at first it’s hated and ignored, resisted and fiercely fought, and finally emerges and is accepted as self evident —) and the conviction of Chief Makoni (Cogan Gwasira), recently, is a culmination of rogue behaviours that were overdue for containment.
A penchant for power and self-admiration bordering on vanity saw the chief breaking every rule that should not be broken, drawing censure from Government.
Lack of appreciation of self restraint and self respect even saw Gwasira waging unhealthy exchanges with Government officials as if to announce the arrival of a bull in a China shop.
A narcissist personality that defies the boundaries of self control and self management saw the chief chiding Government officials as running their affairs “through verbs, nouns and adjectives” and insisting on a paramountancy that persuaded him to label such officials as “mentally colonised”.
This is a chief whose nomination and subsequent appointment was greeted with extreme reservation and acute scepticism by most people and what he is exuding today is the behaviour of a full time opportunist who is prepared to sacrifice his soul to reap ungodly profit.
Gwasira cannot distinguish between integrity and impurity and is the first in living memory of the Makoni royalty to have suffered relentless suits by his own subjects because of alleged arbitrary and extortionate judgments he passes with reckless abandon.
Our research reveals that suits by subjects against their traditional leader, in royalties throughout the country, are next to non-existent, and curiously indicative of rejection of the incumbent.
A chief is a law enforcer and the conviction of Gwasira, arising out of obstructing a lawful order by the Magistrate’s Court, flies against the elementary principles of good citizenry and sets a bad precedent to his community and the nation at large.
Wild allegations by Gwasira that sought to label Chiefs Tandi, Chipunza, Chikore, and Chiduku as well as unnamed politicians as plotters of his downfall were delusionary attempts of a sinking man clutching at a straw.
These unfounded allegations depict a character that is unfit to lead anyone and do send serious signals of a train about to get off the rails with the real consequence of crushing into anything and everything.
It is anyone’s guess what else still needs to be unravelled about the beleaguered chief, save to say that the floodgates have been opened for society to claim back its dignity.
The big question that begs answer is how a law breaker is expected to enforce the law. The conviction speaks of a square peg in a round hole and his continued stay in office is being widely debated among his subjects as unsustainable, and a dishonour to the seat of office allotted to a chief.
Gwasira’s conviction is also bad for the reputation of the ministry responsible for traditional affairs.
The Makoni royalty is renowned for its pursuit of creative thinking, the hosting of a just legal system beyond reproach, and the advocacy of good neighbourliness, high moral standards and community development.
Gwasira symbolises the destruction of pillars for which the Makoni royalty stands for, and goes down in history as the Trojan horse that should never have been allowed anywhere near the reins of power.
His conviction speaks of the need, on the part of Government, to respect and adhere to customary principles of succession in traditional matters.
Gwasira is widely viewed as product of violation of the Makoni succession principles. He was installed at a little known village called Handina, and revered community elders that dignify such occasion were conspicuous by their absence.
What we seek to salvage out of a bad start merely points to drama that saw Mr Didymus Mutasa, who masqueraded as father figure of the Zendera house, congratulating Gwasira at his installation of September 26, 2014, only to be denounced by the same chief on December 12, 2014 as neither a Zendera nor a Makoni but a Mozambican.
As Mutasa’s political fortunes sank, Gwasira had no qualms about dumping him in the most heartless manner, completely oblivious of the central role that Mr Mutasa had played in rewriting the Makoni narrative, of which the chief himself was the sole beneficiary.
It will be recalled how Mutasa was given generous and premiere media coverage at Gwasira’s installation.
Renewed conversations that consign the Muswati and Zendera houses to elements outside the Makoni royalty, citing the late Gandanzara (Muswati) and now Gwasira (Zendera) as having tarnished the revered name of Chief Makoni.
Understandably, the script that says only two houses, namely Nyakurukwa and Nyamanhindi comprise the chieftainship houses is being brutally qualified and haunting to any pretenders to the Makoni crown.
Ishe Donald Sarudzai Kamba, of the Nyakurukwa house, has always been touted as the authentic Chief Makoni, and, conversations are louder than ever that he be given his dues, noting that he commands respect within the entire district as well as various other equally important constituencies.
It appears the multifaceted conversations have immense substance, noting that Gwasira’s conduct depicts no connectivity with royalty, even in the remotest sense.
