The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
IN the never-ending Marange chieftaincy wrangles, another chief aspirant has come forward and is threatening to dethrone the current substantive Marange chief, Mr Bernard Makungauta Murwira, as he claims to be the heir apparent.
Mr Gore Mukondiwa on Gonon’ono Village under Chief Marange claims his namesake and great-great grandfather, Gore Mukondiwa, who allegedly was once the leader of the Marange people in the 1800s, was dethroned and murdered by the current chief’s great-great grandfather.
He claims that his great-great grandfather’s spirit is now manifesting and demanding that he (Mukondiwa) be installed as the leader of the Marange people.
Mr Mukondiwa said he has been single since 2004 when he divorced his wife since his namesake’s spirit has rendered his family members single through unexplainable divorces.
True to his word, there was not a single female figure at the Mukondiwa homestead when The Manica Post visited recently.
Mr Mukondiwa, who stays with his father and brothers, had just finished doing his laundry and was preparing a meal for the family.
The isolated homestead looked deserted, bringing to life the old Shona adage, musha mukadzi.
Mr Mukondiwa’s father was seated just a few metres away from where the interview was being conducted.
He hummed some popular tunes as he listened to his small radio, while ignoring the interview.
Mr Mukondiwa, however, said his father is well versed with the whole history of how the late Mukondiwa was dethroned.
“I have been seeing visions of different animals which signify royalty. Different prophets told me that it meant that I have royal blood flowing in my veins. When I approached my father with the issue, he told me that he had named me after my great-great grandfather who was a chief. That is how it all started,” said Mr Mukondiwa.
From then on, he claims his late namesake’s spirit started manifesting on him and showing him how he was dethroned and murdered.
“I have not been leading a peaceful life for the past 20 years. The spirit has been tormenting me and demanding that I get back the throne into the family. The ruling family has a book and gold artefacts that belonged to my namesake,” he said.
Mr Mukondiwa, who is also a member of Zion Christian Church, said the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church leadership has in its possession a golden knobkerrie which his late grandfather used for chieftainship traditional rituals.
“I have approached them too, but they have not been forthcoming,” he said.
Mr Mukondiwa claimed that he approached the late Acting Chief Gilbert Marange over the matter, but he never made a follow-up until his death.
Though the road to dethroning Mr Murwira has been thorny, Mr Mukondiwa insists that he is the heir apparent to the throne.
In an interview, Chief Marange rubbished the claims, stating that Mr Mukondiwa’s claims were far-fetched and did not deserve to be entertained.
“There is a saying that goes, ‘if wishes were horses, beggars would ride’ and this is a very good example of where to apply that adage. In the Marange chieftaincy history, there never was a time when the name Mukondiwa was recorded. In fact, his village head, Gonon’ono, is of royal blood and is actually more of an heir than this Mukondiwa. If indeed his grandfather was once a chief, why then has he not approached me or the council of chiefs with his claims?” said Chief Marange.
“I think this man is someone’s product, he is being used by my enemies,” said the traditional leader who was installed as substantive chief in 2016.
Contacted for comment on the gold knobkerrie that is alleged to be in the church’s possession, Johane Marange Apostolic Church spokesperson, Mr Nyasha Marange said he would get back to the paper.
However, he failed to do so before publishing.
Last year, the High Court settled the Marange chieftaincy matter after the Dzoma and Makarara families had challenged the selection of the current chief as the rightful heir to the throne.
In 2017, Mr Zvidzai Dzoma Marange took the succession battle to the High Court arguing that Mr Murwira was not the rightful heir and that he had been illegally installed.
He also stated that Mr Murwira was not the people’s preferred candidate for the post.
He claimed that the Marange people had chosen him (Dzoma), and not Mr Murwira, to be their leader.
However, the High Court ruled in Mr Murwira’s favour on July 29, 2022.
The overseer of the appointment of Marange chiefs, Mr Mutonhonwa, said Chief Marange was rightly chosen as the substantive chief.
Contacted for comment, Zimbabwe Chiefs Council’s Manicaland provincial chairman, Chief Makumbe said he cannot comment on matters pending before the courts, despite the July 29, 2022 High Court verdict.
