Chiefs Council to elect new leadership next month

Harare (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs (ZCC) will next month elect a new leadership at its congress, a senior official of the body announced on Monday.

President of the Chiefs Council, Fortune Charumbira said the elections will be held on August 3, but the venue of the congress is yet to be set.

The new office holders will have a five-year mandate.

“One of the key objectives is that as National Council of Chiefs, we meet periodically according to our constitution. If we fail to meet at least two times a week, we can meet as many as five times depending on issues that arise as we go through the year,” said Charumbira.

He said he was pleased by the work done by the current Chiefs Council and hoped that some of its members would be retained in their posts.

Chief Charumbira however, said it was not up to him to decide who retains their posts and who is voted out as that mandate lies with the chiefs themselves who are going to vote.

Meanwhile, former New Ziana board member, Elizabeth Karonga is set to become the second female Chief in Mashonaland East after the National Chiefs Council endorsed her recommendation by the provincial chiefs council as the next substantive chief Charehwa in Mudzi.

Chief Nechombo, who is the chairman of the Mashonaland East Chiefs Council, told the meeting that following the death of the incumbent, Elizabeth Karonga is now set to take over the reins.

There were no objections to her nomination, meaning that her name will now be forwarded to the President who is the appointing authority.

The last National Council of Chiefs elections were held in Bulawayo in 2018.

The elections are held in terms of Section 37 of the Traditional Leaders Act (Chapter 2:13).

New Ziana