Chief Nemakonde, also known as Wilson Mhende, has passed away following an extended illness at the age of 97. His jurisdiction ranged from Chinhoyi to Kanyaga in the Makonde district.
An official statement regarding the Chief’s demise and an accompanying obituary will be released subsequent to a private burial, in adherence to customary practices.
Renowned for his outspokenness and courage, Chief Nemakonde famously contested the claims of a self-proclaimed traditional healer, Rotina Mavhunga, regarding the contentious discovery of diesel at Maningwa Hills near Chinhoyi. Despite expressing skepticism to then President Robert Mugabe and other government officials, asserting that such a miraculous event could not transpire in his domain, his warnings went unheeded.
Subsequent legal proceedings revealed that Mavhunga, also known as Nomatter Tagirira, had located an abandoned fuel tank in the bush in March 2007. She filled it with diesel, affixed a pipe, and concealed it on top of a rock. By summoning government officials, she orchestrated a spectacle where, upon a signal, an accomplice would open the tap on the pipe, leading to the apparent emergence of refined diesel from the rock. Mavhunga received a substantial reward, including a payment of US$1 million.
The Chief faced further controversy in 2013 when he ordered an unemployed villager, William Chakabveyo, discovered in possession of a cellphone number belonging to a soldier’s wife, to pay a fine of US$1,100 or provide two cattle and two goats. This decision came after Chakabveyo was summoned to the communal court in Shackleton, approximately 10km from Chinhoyi, to address charges of engaging in an extramarital affair with Sharoni Madungwe, the wife of Lynos Nyikayavene. Chakabveyo appealed the conviction and sentence, leading to the magistrate reducing the fine to US$400 at the civil court in Chinhoyi.
Source Byo24News
