The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Weekender Reporter
TENSION erupted at the funeral wake of acting Chief Marange — Gilbert Chikwadombo — after a faction allegedly loyal to the recently installed substantive heir of the dynasty’s throne Bernard Makungauta Murwira stormed Chikwadombo’s homestead demanding the traditional paraphernalia which the late acting chief was using.
Chikwadombo’s eldest son Ian (22) told The Manica Post in a telephone interview this week that the Murwiras, led by the clan’s protocol master (semukadzi) Headman Mushunje could not give the Chikwadombo’s bereaved family the slightest opportunity to mourn their father after storming their homestead hardly two days after burial demanding a paraphernalia — a comprising of a sacred bow and arrow.
The Marange chiefs are presented with the paraphernalia upon consecration.
Chikwadombo and a number of headmen were opposed to Murwira’s ascendency to the throne, making it difficult for the incumbent to access the revered and sacred paraphernalia.
The incumbent allegedly took advantage of Chikwadombo’s death to pounce, but not without brickbats from the bereaved family.
“We thought they had come to mourn with us, but the emissaries from the new Chief Marange, led by semukadzi Mushunje came here on a mission to seize that paraphernalia. We were shocked by their actions, coming as it did hardly 48 hours after the burial of our father. We are still mourning and receiving mourners, and they saw it fit to mock us this way. The timing was suspicious, and their actions were bereft of morals.
“We expected them to mourn with us, comfort and explain things to the family first with a view to follow all traditional dictates before collecting the bow and arrow that my father was still superintending at the time of his death,” said Ian.
Ian further argued that traditionally, the Murwiras, as heir to the throne, were supposed to pay 27 cattle and a sheep, before accessing the paraphernalia.
“Go and ask them if they followed that tradition. To whom did they pay the requisite cattle and sheep? How do they expect their subjects to observe their authority when they cannot uphold the traditional rites that go with the chieftancy? A chief should be a law enforcer, not a law violator. They should not abuse the throne, but be fair in the discharge of their mandate as was the case with father. Why didn’t they take the paraphernalia when he was alive?
They knew they had to pay, and I wonder why they are cutting the corners,” said Ian.
Ian said his mother Sophia Kamunda allowed the Murwiras to have their way just to preserve peace and co-existence in the dynasty.
“We are not fighting them. They are the ones to explain what they are doing to our bereaved family. It was an undeserved victory, they disrespected my late father and his family. It was a mockery to his legacy. He served the throne for 10 years, and he deserved better. We leave it to the ancestors to judge them,” added Ian.
Headman Mushunje is the only one mandated take the paraphernalia and surrender it in a secure place at the new chief’s residence.
However, a spokesperson of the Murwiras Mr Solomon Marange accused Ian of informed ignorance and conscientious stupidity. He warned the youngster against behaving like a lose canon.
Mr Marange, an assessor of the new Chief Marange, said Ian was out of his mind and his actions and utterances depicted ignorance of unthinkable proportions.
He said the Murwira delegation collected the paraphernalia with the full blessing of the whole clan, including spirit mediums, and all requisite rituals were performed before and after the removal of the paraphernalia from Chikwadombo’s homestead.
“We did what is expected us before the death of Gilbert, that is paying the required bull and a sheep. Actually, we paid twice, on the first occasion, Gilbert accepted our payment, but shifted goalposts later and refused to release the paraphernalia arguing that we were supposed to be accompanied by semukadzi Mushunje.
“We went again and paid another bull and sheep in the company of the semukadzi, and he accepted and pleaded for three weeks to wind up his business before releasing it. For your own information, Gilbert’s tenure expired on October 19, 2016, but we could not physically collect the paraphernalia because there were some interferences and challenges from without.
“The process dragged until yatove nguva yezhizha. As a dynasty, we do not perform such important rituals during the summer. If Gilbert was alive we would have waited through the summer because he was well vested with the protocols regarding the superintendence of the paraphernalia. Now that he is no more, we had to act swiftly to collect and preserve it. That is why the semukadzi, the only person mandated to lay his hands on the paraphernalia, led his delegation to collect it. We could not buy time and risk the well‐being of whole dynasty because of some young ignorant boy whose utterances depict someone high on drugs. Ian and his mother could not superintend over that sacred paraphernalia, and we did right thing to preserve it, otherwise if by chance they had violated and defiled it, and the consequences would be catastrophic and regrettable,” said Mr Marange.
Mr Marange took a further dig on Ian, and warned him against victimising his late father’s wives.
Mr Marange said seven of his father’s nine wives had approached Chief Marange alleging victimisation.
The seven wives have 12 children among themselves.
“If he is still mourning their father, why is he evicting the other wives? He should leave those wives there, enjoying the estate of their husband. Chief Marange is already seized with the matter, and keen to help them in whatever way. What he is doing is bad,” said Mr Marange.
Ian disputed the allegations, saying the seven wives were rejoining their families on their own violation.
“I cannot stop them from rejoining their families. They claim they are young and can still remarry. As we distributed my father’s clothes, the sarapavana rites were performed, and my mother gave me a dish with water as the eldest son. The second wife Nomatter Zengeya did the same and gave her dish to tete Nyasha Marange, and those seven he is referring to vakarasa madhishi awo emvura pasi which means vakaramba kugarwa nhaka or kugara mumusha,” argued Ian.
He said the wives were even demanding to have their lobola paid before rejoining their families.
Ian said part of Chikwadombo’s estate include 42 cattle, goats, sheep, 110ha Wallacedale Farm, among others.
“They are threatening to vandalise the houses that my father built for them and sell retrievable valuables before going to their families. They need to sober up and appreciate they have sons who will require that wealth when they grow up,” he said..
