Village heads lament limitations of Traditional Leaders Act
This was revealed during a synergy-building workshop between traditional leaders and local authorities, curated by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance. The workshop aimed to strengthen the relationship and collaboration between the two institutions for community development.
One village head from Ntepe said their office is sometimes not given the respect it deserves, as villagers underestimate their leadership and authority.
“We often try to handle cases and reprimand trouble-causers in the community, but all we get is backlash. Our hands are tied when it comes to solving issues locally before escalating them to the Headman or Chief,” said Mr. Benjamin Ncube.
Village head Ncube also noted that they are still waiting for the amended Traditional Leaders Act, which has been in the pipeline for years.
“We are still using the old Act, even though an amendment was made some years back. Till now, we don’t know what happened or what the holdup is,” he said.
Recently, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Mr Nick Mangwana, announced that the Traditional Leadership Bill was under review. The Chiefs attended a writeshop in Harare, which aimed to define clear roles for traditional leaders, among other issues.
“Minister of Local Government, Hon. Daniel Garwe, today opened a pivotal writeshop on the Traditional Leadership Bill at the Harare International Conference Centre. Key aims of the writeshop include strengthening cultural heritage and governance, defining clear roles for traditional leaders, as well as incorporating rural development, climate resilience and accountability,” he posted on his X account.
Another issue raised during the synergy-building workshop was the communication and protocol gap between traditional leadership and local authorities. Both institutions called for more clarity and training on their distinct roles.
“Local authorities must know they cannot call meetings in our villages without consulting or informing us. We are the custodians of these villages and have every right to know about matters concerning our communities,” said a headman from Izimnyama in Mangwe, Plumtree.