Six Hurungwe West headmen have approached the High Court seeking to be reinstated to their positions after they were unceremoniously fired for allegedly refusing to support a ZANU PF preferred candidate, the late Keith Guzah, during the 2015 Hurungwe West by-election.
The six are Member Mutinha, Aleck Munhava, Alton Manjonjo, Morgan Gora, Nobo Mahobo and Taurai Machipisa.
They are challenging the decision which was taken by Hurungwe West district administrator (now District development co-ordinator (DDC)) to remove them from their positions as traditional heads without a charge.
In his founding affidavit, one of the affected headmen, Mutinha, who is cited as the first applicant said:
During a campaign rally held on Sunday, April 26, 2015, at Nyambuya Primary School Ignatius Chombo, then minister of Local Government, who administered the affairs of traditional leaders, openly accused me (Mutinha) and my co-applicants of not supporting Zanu PF and its preferred candidate, Keith Guzah, and openly announced our unsuitability to be village leaders.
I further aver that during the period extending from April 26, 2015, to May 10, 2015, the first respondent (Chief Nyamhunga (Boniface Chinehasha)) personally invited myself and my co-applicants to his homestead and issued us with verbal dismissal from traditional leadership positions as village heads…
The matter is pending.
ZANU PF has in the past been accused of commandeering traditional leaders and using them as its foot soldiers during political campaigns ahead of general elections.