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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE country’s traditional leadership should be involved in discouraging violent protests that have dogged the country in recent months.

 

Addressing the Bulawayo Press Club on Thursday, Chief Ndiweni of Ntabazinduna castigated political parties who use violence to further their agendas.

The country has in the past few months seen violent protests fuelled by opposition parties who unconstitutionally want to unseat the Government.

Chief Ndiweni, son to the late Ndebele paramount Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, said traditional leaders must be engaged in addressing the country’s problems as their jurisdiction affects most of the country’s population.

He said the country can only end disputes through dialogue.

“To us as chiefs to have disorder, pulling and fighting, it’s not something that we want to see. That’s why when groups come to Ntabazinduna, they should conduct themselves in a lawful way so that we can have proper discourse,” said Chief Ndiweni.

“It’ll be nice if chiefs would have a voice on what is happening and try to calm the waters down.”

He said Zimbabweans should know that no foreigner will solve the country’s problems.

“At the end of the day it will have to be a Zimbabwean solution to a Zimbabwean problem,” Chief Ndiweni said.

He said traditional leaders should be apolitical if they are to effectively serve their areas of jurisdiction.

“We can start from the notion that traditional leaders are apolitical. They’re not entering the political arena. If we accept this notion then traditional leaders should and must have a say in what is currently happening in the country,” said Chief Ndiweni.

He said delays in Government disbursement of chief allowances were incapacitating traditional leaders.

Chief Ndiweni said although chiefs are chairpersons of the community share ownership schemes, they are getting paltry allowances.

He said sometimes chiefs can go for over three months without receiving their allowances.

The chief said coming from the Diaspora, he first had to fix his finances because the Government’s allowance was depressing.

“It’s not a wage, it’s an allowance and without being disrespectful or arrogant, I can spend it over breakfast. By the time I finish my bacon and eggs, it will be finished,” said Chief Ndiweni who was based in the United Kingdom before he ascended the throne.

The chief blasted tribalists.

“Every time I see someone referring to tribes, for me the person who says tribes is a person who is yet to get over colonisation. When the Anglo-

Saxons came to this country, they found nations, nations in completeness among the black people. I’ve said it many times that Zimbabwe is a nation of nations,” he said.

Chief Ndiweni said the country’s courts should respect the rulings made by traditional leaders who also are guided by the law in dealing with their cases. — @nqotshili