Incest saga chief to compensate village head

A Mvuma magistrate has ordered Chief Chirumhanzu to pay a village head $1,150 as restitution for two cattle he attached for alleged incest.

The headman, Mr Sifile Chiradza, dragged the chief to the Mvuma Civil court last Thursday demanding his beasts that were attached by the chief after he was found guilty of incest.

Chief Chirumhanzu allegedly found the plaintiff guilty of having an affair with Ms Emilia Nyambirai, his mother’s younger sister and fined him four beasts.Mvuma magistrate Ms Vimbai Makora rescinded the Chief’s judgment and ordered him to pay back money equivalent to the beasts.

“The plaintiff claim is hereby granted and defendant is hereby ordered to pay an amount of $1,150 to the plaintiff,” reads part of the ruling by Ms Makora.

The court heard that on April 5, 2014, Chief Chirumhanzu found the headman guilty of incest and sent his messenger of court and his assistant to Mr Chiradza’s homestead to attach his cattle. Chief Chirumhanzu took possession and ownership of Mr Chiradza’s two cattle.

Incest saga chief to compensate village head

The other two cattle belonging to Mr Chiradza were given to Ms Nyambira’s husband Mr Martin Dzumbunu. Mr Chiradza felt that it was a travesty of justice since the traditional court failed to prove that he had an illicit affair with his mother’s sister and appealed against the judgment.

Mr Dzumbunu in turn returned the two cattle after he established that Mr Chiradza was being framed by his brother Mr Paul Bandira who wanted to be a village head. The Chief, however, refused to return the two cattle leading to Mr Chiradza approaching the court.