Story by Mercy Bofu-Matinha
TRADITIONAL leaders have been urged to remain custodians of culture by instilling good morals and values within their communities.
The Chivi community converged at Jaka Primary School for the traditional installation celebrations of Headman Jaka, under the leadership of Chief Chivi.
During the colourful ceremony, Chief Chivi officially handed over the headmanship to Mr Freddie Sibanda Jaka, who became the 15th headman in the area.
Chief Chivi tasked the newly installed headman to uphold unity, preserve cultural values and promote development within the community.
“Under Chief Chivi, now we have 15 headmen, including Chivi Jaka. I am giving him the task of being a servant of this community. What we value most is peace. He will be responsible for promoting good morals and values and ensuring that people in this area work hard for their families. Currently, our biggest challenge is to fight drug and substance abuse within communities,” he said.
Other traditional leaders who graced the occasion commended the government for restoring traditional leadership structures, saying the move has strengthened local governance and accelerated development in rural communities.
“Our government is doing a great job in restoring traditional leadership structures, which were dismantled during the colonial era. It brings people together, hence promoting peace and development,” Chief Bere said.
Chivi Central legislator, Honourable Xavier Maoneke, called on community members to work closely with traditional leaders in driving development initiatives.
“Traditional leaders are very important within our communities as they drive development, hence we continue to work with them, calling upon community members to recognise them and work with them as we drive community development,” said.
Speaking on behalf of the Jaka family, Mr Munoda Madhigi expressed gratitude to the Government for restoring their traditional authority, saying the family is committed to serving the community diligently and upholding cultural values.
“As the Jaka family, today is a big day for us; our headmanship has been restored, hence we are gathered to celebrate. We thank the government for recognising the importance of traditional leaders within communities, and we are looking forward to working well with this community as we promote unity among our people,” said.
Mr Freddie Sibanda Jaka becomes the first Headman Jaka to be installed after more than a century, following the restoration of traditional leadership roles that were previously dismantled during the colonial era.
Headman Jaka will oversee over 110 village heads under his jurisdiction.
Thetraditional leaders have also been encouraged to mobilise citizens to actively participate in development programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and fostering sustainable community growth.
