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Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has congratulated Chief Mtshane Khumalo from Bubi District in Matabeleland North province for his recent election as Chiefs Council president.

Chief Khumalo was last week elected unopposed, replacing long-serving leader, Chief Fortune Charumbira from Masvingo province.
President Mnangagwa took time to congratulate Chief Khumalo while giving his salutations while addressing thousands of Zion Christian Church (ZCC) members who had gathered at the annual Zuva raSamere conference at Defe Dopota Shrine in Gokwe South District on Sunday.

Reverend Samuel Mutendi, founder of ZCC died on July 20 in 1976 and was buried at Defe Dopota Shrine.
“I would like to congratulate Chief Mtshane Khumalo for his election as the new Chiefs Council president, congratulations,” he said.
The President equally saluted the now Chiefs Council deputy president, Chief Charumbira, who is also the president of the Pan African Parliament (PAP).

“The one who was the president of the Chiefs Council, Chief Charumbira is here with us, he is now his deputy. Chief Charumbira is the president of the Pan-African Parliament,” he said.

“As their President, I engaged other Presidents from the continent to support Chief Charumbira’s bid to be elected the president of PAP and they listened to me and he was elected the president of PAP and we gave the post to Chief Charumbira,” said President Mnangagwa.

President Mnangagwa

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) presided over the smooth transition of power in the Chiefs Council.
Chief Khumalo took over the presidency at a time when the Government has mandated the traditional leaders to lead the resolution of the Gukurahundi disturbances through hearings and his immediate task now will be to vigorously pursue the matter.

Chiefs Khumalo and Charumbira become the first to secure seats in Parliament while the election for the remaining 16 seats will be held on 24 August 2023.

Chief Khumalo is the great-grandson of the revered Ndebele military tactician, General Mtshane Khumalo who was the commander of King Lobengula’s Imbizo regiment that defeated the Allan Wilson Patrol, at the Battle of Pupu on December 4, 1893 as the first shots of resistance against colonialism were fired.

Pupu is where King Lobengula’s warriors killed 32 of 33 colonial forces led by Major Allan Wilson in 1893. When King Lobengula heard that his warriors had been defeated by the colonial forces in the battle at Bonko by the Shangani River and Gadade in Mbembesi, he ordered the burning down of the royal town as per tradition and fled towards Shangani River accompanied by a force of between 2 000 and 3 000 men.

The colonial forces assembled an army of 33 men to go in pursuit of the king and capture him, only to meet their fate in Pupu in the hands of the Ndebele warriors under the command of Gen Khumalo.

Major Wilson, the loser, was honoured by the settler regime and the legacy is there for all to see but Gen Khumalo, the victor had not.
The Second Republic has since resolved to review the list of national monuments to include the Pupu Battlefield National Monument and the monument was set for commissioning by President Mnangagwa but the event was postponed to a later date.

President Mnangagwa

Meanwhile, while addressing the same conference ZCC leader Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi said the Bible emphasizes on the need for the church and the Government to work together for the socio-economic development of the country.

“Anyone who wants to cause division between the church and the Government is not welcome. From 1913 church founder Reverend Samuel Mutendi has been preaching peace, ‘rugare’ and we are still preaching peace,” he said. “The history of ZCC and that of the country goes hand in hand. The Government has been doing galas honouring its liberation national heroes such as the late father Zimbabwe Cde Joshua Nkomo and the late former Vice-President Simon Muzenda and we as ZCC, are also commemorating the passing away of Rev Samuel Mutendi,” he said.

“Don’t forget where you came from because you are yet free indeed as the Bible says. Go and vote from here and vote in huge numbers. You must exercise your right to vote but vote wisely.

“Beware of criminals, beware of people who will lead you astray. Forward with the revolutionary party, which still has a lot of work to do for the country. We are not yet there. Only fools think we have arrived.”