Story by Mercy Bofu
GOVERNMENT says traditional leaders are key in steering development in their respective communities to ensure an upper middle-income society by 2030.
Hundreds of villagers gathered at Chikarudzo School in Masvingo for the installation of Matubede Mugabe as Chief Mugabe this Thursday.
Guest of honour at the event, Vice President General Retired Dr Constantino Chiwenga urged the community to work with traditional leaders in support of the Second Republic’s developmental agenda.
“The Second Republic is working on several programmes to ensure development, here in Masvingo we are going to create a greenbelt in Chiredzi hence we are working on Tende-Runde Dam. Lake Mutirikwi is going to supply water in other districts including Masvingo where we are going to establish new irrigation schemes. We call upon communities and traditional leaders to support that development trajectory,” he said.
The Masvingo provincial leadership pledged to work with Chief Mugabe in propelling development in the province.
“It is our duty as traditional leaders to preserve our culture, we are supposed to be the custodians of our traditional beliefs. We are welcoming Chief Mugabe today who has joined us to give guidance to our youths and the community at large,” said the President of the Chief’s Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Honorable Ezra Chadzamira said, “As Masvingo province, we want to assure you that we work with our traditional leaders in all developmental programmes. We continue to receive support from the government especially in rural communities under the rural industrialisation agenda.”
Family representative Mudavanhu Mugabe expressed gratitude to the government for the support, pledging to lead the community with integrity, “We want to thank the government for supporting us, we promise to work with the community, leading them in all developmental programmes.
The Mugabe chieftainship which dates to the pre-colonial era is of the Gono totem.
