Infidelity tops Chief Nemakonde community cases 

Paul Pindani

Cases of infidelity among the people of Makonde, under Chief Nemakonde, are on the rise.

This was revealed by the Chiefs aides during an interview at the Chiefs homestead at Pondorosa farm.

The aides said that most of the cases that are being brought to the chief`s court are related to infidelity.

Mussolini Tahwasha told Mash West Times, that other prominent cases which were tried at the court were also about land boundary disputes and other cases are of parents who are failing to send their children to school.

Tahwasha said if one is found guilty of adultery, the accused person would be fined one or two beasts.

"However, if the person was legally married the fine would be increased to more than two cattle," said Tahwasha.

He added.

"About 20 cases involving dishonest in families have been tried. It`s a worrying trend indeed,"

Tahwasha said that most of the cases involved the young generation, who would just have got married, while other cases were of friends ending up having an adulterous relationship with wives of their fellow kinsman.

Tahwasha said normally in every court session, there is always a case of infidelity.

The chief has formed some groups known as, `Machembere`, or `Makarahwa`, to instill a sense of discipline and the importance of understanding the African culture and our traditional values.

Another aide, Sungano Tsikai said that the Chief is putting in place mechanisms and measures to make sure that all the people summoned to appear before him, do so, unless there are valid confirmed reasons not to do so.

"However, the breakdown of the marriages is also being caused by drug and alcohol abuse, “added Tsikai.

Tsikai said cases of drugs and substance abuse were not very common in the past generations, since people of the past generations respected our indigenous cultural values and resisted most western cultural behaviors and beliefs.

" Cases of infidelity were very few because people followed our cultural values and tradition,"

"Mazuvaano nyika yarasa chivanhu chedu zvokuti vanhu vose vakuita madiro a Georgina pasina anotsura,"

Tsikai apportioned the blame, partly on technology.

"The other problem is the coming in of technology, technology has become a major problem in our land,"

" People are now abusing technology by sending nude pictures and videos to each other thereby losing the essence of Ubuntu," said Tahwasha.

He appealed to the government to put in place a dress code, to control how people dress themselves.

" We have lost our dignity as a people.  We are now having a problem of people walking naked in broad daylight.

 Chief Nemakonde has issued out an authoritative call, to all the families to control their children, especially the girl child, on how to dress decently.

A woman aide blamed some parents who were in the practice of buying improper clothes for their children.

"It is of paramount importance for the young generation to dress decently and also to respect their bodies," she said.