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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
TRADITIONAL leaders in Matabeleland North Province are a disgruntled lot following their alleged exclusion from the 21st February Movement celebrations. The celebrations to mark President Mugabe”s 91st birthday were held on February 28 in Victoria Falls and some chiefs from the seven districts in the province feel they were snubbed despite being the hosts.

The chiefs said as hosts, all of them were supposed to be invited.

Three chiefs from each district were reportedly invited to the celebrations. The chiefs said the celebrations have come and gone and were now demanding answers from the Chiefs Council and Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing on the criteria used to select attendees.

Some said they were never told about preparations while others said they were left out after participating in the build up to the celebrations.

Chief Nelukoba of Hwange who spoke on behalf of the chiefs, said the occasion would have been a befitting opportunity for them to meet President Mugabe.

“Only three chiefs were invited from Hwange. We were told a few days before the day that only three chiefs will attend and we want to know what criteria was used to choose the three,” said Chief Nelukoba.

Those who attended from Hwange are chiefs Shana, Mvuthu and Nekatambe.

“I inquired from the Provincial Administrator’s Office about the issue. We understand Chief Mvuthu was the host while Chief Shana is in the Chief’s Council but our question is why were we left out? Chief Wange is the closest, he should have been invited but he was left out.

“We didn’t go because we felt going there without being invited would cause problems. Those who went on their own footed their own expenses. This was our chance to have a word with President Mugabe because when such events are in other provinces only the Chief’s Council goes there,” said Chief Nelukoba.

He said chiefs should be allowed to choose their representatives than to be dictated upon.

Chief Wange said: “I wasn’t invited as I wasn’t on the list. I only went there after Chief Shana phoned me. Even on the preparations we were not very active and we don’t know why it was like that. Those who were invited were given fuel coupons.”

Chief Shana, a representative of the provincial assembly, confirmed receiving reports from the disgruntled chiefs.

“It is true that there are such concerns and we don’t understand how the selection was done because we were never consulted. I even told Chief Charumbira (President of the Chief’s Council) about the issue. Even Chief Siansali who represents us in Senate didn’t know how the selection was done. This issue is now haunting me as if I’m the one who did the biased selection yet I wasn’t even part of it,” said Chief Shana.

From Binga chiefs Siansali, Binga and Dobola represented the district.

Chief Siabuwa said he and the others were not invited. Deputy president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Mtshane who is also from the province said the issue will be attended to.

“They raised that and our advice is that if there are complaints in the province they should write them down as the provincial assembly so that we deal with them. We don’t want to respond to issues that come through the media,” he said.

The Provincial Administrator, Latiso Dlamini, was not available for comment.