Published: 10 hours ago

The Mbari Clan, which claims historical jurisdiction over Harare and its surrounding areas, has petitioned the government and the Zimbabwe Chiefs' Council for urgent consultations to revive their traditional chieftaincy.

The letters, shared by 'Princess' Eugene Majuru, a descendant of Paramount Chief Mbari, argue that the absence of the chieftaincy has contributed to socio-economic and cultural challenges in the capital.

"For 45 years after independence, the Chiefs' Council has remained silent on the most glaring cultural and spiritual injustice in our nation: the absence of the Mbari chieftaincy in Harare," reads one of the letters.

"While Harare was commercialised under colonial rule, that did not erase the fact that the land remains under the spiritual guardianship of the Mbari clan. By ignoring this reality, the Council has allowed a royal family to remain displaced, scattered across the country, unable to perform their own traditional ceremonies on their ancestral land."

Currently, no traditional leader has jurisdiction over the capital, although parts of Harare are claimed by Chief Seke. Historically, the Hwata and Chiweshe dynasties also held territory under a confederacy led by Chief Seke, with its capital at Barapata Hill (present-day Mufakose).

Historical sources suggest Chief Mbari's territory covered areas south of modern Harare to Chief Seke's Manyame River, east to Chishawasha (under Chief Chinhamora), north to Zvimba up to the Mkwadzi River, and Concession in the north. Colonial administration displaced traditional leaders, leaving the area without Mbari oversight.

Majuru called for immediate action:

"The Mbari clan demands an immediate and transparent explanation as to why the Chiefs' Council has failed to address this issue. We further call for urgent consultations with the Mbari clan and spirit mediums to begin the process of resuscitating the Harare chieftaincy."

The development has reignited debates over cultural heritage, land stewardship, and the role of traditional leadership in Zimbabwe's rapidly urbanising capital.
- NewZimbabwe

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