The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo Senior Leisure Reporter
SHE is dazzlingly beautiful, striking and sultry. She has an ethereal untouchable goddess quality about her and it seems unthinkable that she is a traditional leader — a chief and is living in rural areas. With her shimmering beauty she carries herself confidently as Chief Ndube who was born Nonhlanhla Sibanda some 30 years ago in the royal Ndube family and assumed the chieftainship in 2007 when she was only 22, following the passing on of her father in 2003.
She did not only make history as being a typical example of how Zimbabwe has made significant strides in breaking yesteryear’s patriarchy system, which elevated male dominance in all facets of life but her royal highness’ taste for the latest fashion trends has sent tongues wagging and heads turning.
Those meeting the Insiza traditional leader for the first time can be forgiven for mistaking her for a model.
What makes her elegant and stylish appearance more visible and unique is of course the fact that it’s unexpected especially with her social standing, which is more traditional. In fact, Chief Ndube is an oasis in a desert among her subjects who look at her as their mother and “father” figure.
“Since my childhood I was always fond of fashion. Can you imagine I preferred wearing trousers despite the fact that it was somehow regarded as taboo for girls to wear them as many people thought it was against our culture. However, my father always bought them for me. I think I was affected by the effects of Westernisation at my nascent stages since my martenal grandmother was white,” Chief Ndube said.
Clad in a designer purple suit with artistic embroidery, matching bangles and eye shadows of the same shade completing her striking cosmetics, Chief Ndube had the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Paddy Zhanda, asking about her from an official as she made her way to the high table at a function in her area last week. This was after her subjects who were gathered at the event had stood up in a sign of honour.
“I buy my own fabric and have most of my outfits designed by a personal designer,” Chief Ndube said.
Asked if her dressing did not attract the attention of men who go on to try their luck to court her, Chief Ndube giggled and could only say, “of course those who don’t know me do, but what really are you trying to drive at?”
The 30-year-old chief is still single but dreams of being married one day though she says her prospects of a relationship and marriage were greatly compromised by her social standing.
“I can’t really say I’m in a relationship. I prefer to keep my affair a secret but the only thing I can tell you is that it hasn’t been easy for me to get a soul mate. You see, there are few men who are prepared to come and reside with a woman at her place because our custom is of the view that a man should live under my roof and I’m the one who is supposed to pay lobola and most of my suitors see this arrangement as somehow skewed and a little weird,” she said.
Chief Ndube is the last born in a family of five with the other siblings also being girls. Following the death of her father in 2003, all her sisters who were already in the diaspora refused to take up the crown leaving her without a choice but to assume the royal post.
Generally in Zimbabwe, the eldest son succeeds his father and if there are no sons, the chieftainship moves to the late chief’s brother’s house. Women were overlooked, as it was considered taboo for a woman to rule over men. However, this stance seems to have changed in some parts of the country as more women have been installed as traditional leaders.
“All my sisters refused to succeed my father leaving me without an option but to go for it, as a way of keeping royalty within our family,” she said.
Chief Ndube was installed in September 2007 but admits her rise to the throne was met with some form of resistance from some of her male subjects.
“There was some bickering at first but later it died down. I, however, met a lot of resistance from politicians and businessmen who were somehow undermining my authority and spoke ill of me but we soon dealt with that and they are now toeing the line,” she said.
The chief says she presides over a number of cases happening in her area of jurisdiction.
“I preside over a number of cases ranging from theft to infidelity issues among other ills being committed in my community. Of course I consult elders before I pass any judgement,” Chief Ndube said.
The traditional leader seems to have developed affection about her royalty status and hints that she sometimes sees it as fun.
“It’s quite an experience seeing the elderly bowing at you,” she said with a glowing smile but was quick to say, “but I don’t always have it my way. I also take advice and consult widely with them on matters to do with our area.”
Zimbabwe has five substantive female chiefs with three hailing from Matabeleland South and these are chiefs Ndube, Sinqobile Mabhena of Umzingwane, Ketso Mathe of Gwanda while the other two are Chief Charehwa and Chief Chimukoko who are both from Mutoko in Mashonaland East.
