Chief Khumalo takes over National Council of Chief

The first state of the Zimbabwe’s 2023 harmonised elections started in a peaceful manner as the Chiefs council elected new leadership on the 10th of August in Harare.

The newly elected President of the National Council of Chief, Chief Mtshane Khumalo, takes over from the outgoing President Chief Charumbira who declined to be re-elected, making Chief Khumalo unopposed in the election.

Chief Charumbira was later elected as the Deputy President of the National Council of Chiefs. The results meant that, both the President and his Deputy are automatically appointed as part of the senators who are to be bestowed after the general elections.

Traditional chiefs are represented by at least 16 chiefs in Senate. Each provincial assembly in the none-eight metropolitan provinces appoints two chiefs of the provinces to Senate. The President and the deputy are automatically members of the senate. _{(Source: Zimbabwe constitution booklet 6.1)}

Before the elections where conduced it was reported by the Sunday News publication, that the outgoing President of The National Council of Chiefs Charumbira had notified members of ZEC that he had forgotten his identification card in his car. This delayed the selection process.

Since the 2013 constitution which was adopted by Zimbabwe, chiefs play a major role in protecting Zimbabwe’s culture, family values and in decision making in politics. However traditional leaders are always in conflict with rural local government authorities for power, legitimacy and resources.