The Sunday News
THE Insiza land scandal in Matabeleland South took a new twist last week when villagers protested against the area chief for appointing village heads whom they have court cases against.
Following the exposure of the land scandal, Chief Jahana expelled village heads that were implicated in the scandal and appointed new village heads last month.
The chief had initially given people who bought the land an ultimatum to vacate the area but the move was blocked by the court after the victims won a peace order against him. The order included some of the villagers whom the chief has reportedly appointed as village heads.
Mr Peter Mpofu, one of the expelled village heads, said people whom he worked with before the chief expelled him will not entertain anyone imposed on them without consulting elders in the community.
“There is a petition which is circulating and other wards have already sent it to the DA. I am one of the people who went to court seeking a peace order against the chief and some of the people he is working with. We won the case but to my surprise, people who were given orders not to interfere with us are now our leaders. We will never work with this new leadership.”
Another villager, Mr Bishop Ndlovu, who had the petition at hand, said people were divided. On 12 November this year, the petitioners say, the chief came to Village Six and appointed village heads but returned to the same village on Monday and fired the village heads he had appointed and put in new people.
“Ever since Chief Jahana was installed, there has been a lot of fighting among villagers. The chief will find it difficult to work with us. . . we demand a reappointment of village heads which will be done in consultation with local leadership which has been in place,” reads part of the petition.
Cde Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda, a war veteran who said he led the land reform process in the area, called for a conference which will lead to an Act of Parliament that spells out how village heads in resettlement areas will be appointed.
Insiza district administrator Mrs Sithandiwe Ndumo-Ncube refused to comment on the petition and regarding the new appointment of village heads as she referred all questions to Chief Jahana. Repeated efforts to get a comment from Chief Jahana were fruitless.
