By Victor Fanuel
MHONDORO — Chief Ngezi, born Peter Pasipamire, is accused of meddling in the affairs of four traditional communities in Mashonaland West — Nyamweda, Mashayamombe, Chivero and Mushava — amid allegations of succession interference and encroachment on ancestral territories.
He is accused of influencing succession disputes, manipulating the installation of traditional leaders and encroaching on contested territories.
The Chivero royal family has appealed directly to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene.
A letter dated October 23, 2026, accuses the Mashonaland West Provincial Chiefs Council chairman Chief Ngezi of interfering in the Chivero and Mashayamombe chieftaincies.
Separate allegations link him to a court dispute over the installation of a preferred successor to the Nyamweda chieftaincy and encroachment on Mushava traditional territory.
Investigations by NewsHour have uncovered allegations of a wider scheme involving the alteration of traditional boundaries, the creation of the Mupamombe chieftaincy and interference in customary succession procedures.
Members of the Mushava clan dispute Chief Ngezi’s own ascension to the chieftaincy and allege that the creation of a new chieftaincy involving his relatives is intended to transfer contested territory, consolidate his influence and weaken challenges to his position.
These allegations accuse Chief Ngezi of violating Section 283 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, which governs the appointment and removal of traditional leaders and requires the process to take account of relevant customary principles and practices.
With the complainants alleging that disputed boundaries, ancestral heritage and the selection of traditional leaders have become entangled in a struggle for influence.
Allegations against Chief Ngezi have placed his conduct under scrutiny, given his role as Mashonaland West Provincial Chiefs Council chairman responsible for resolving chiefly disputes, amid accusations by members of a rival royal family that he has contributed to the conflicts.
Among their myriad grievances, the Chivero delegation is chiefly seeking the removal of Cornelius Chengera as substantive chief and the appointment of Tendayi Chitinhe, whom it says was selected through customary succession procedures following the death of the substantive chief in 2009.
“We hereby request His Excellency to intervene and resolve the dispute which has been perpetuated by the personal interests of Mashonaland West chairperson of the Chiefs Council, Chief Ngezi,” the delegation wrote.
Signed by Take It Ease Nyandebvu, Tandayi Chitinhe and Musiiwa Chakuchichi, the four-page letter alleges that Ngezi helped secure Chengera’s appointment despite objections from the Chivero succession houses.
They also allege that he has failed to implement instructions from the National Council of Chiefs president to facilitate a resolution, while pursuing changes to traditional boundaries that could affect neighbouring communities.
Public records and previous reporting document a succession dispute dating back more than a decade, litigation over Chengera’s appointment, an earlier territorial complaint against Ngezi and a separate history of assault convictions involving the traditional leader.
A disputed chieftaincy
The Chivero succession dispute dates back to 2009, when the death of the substantive chief Matewu Chipashu left the Chivero chieftaincy vacant and rival royal houses advanced competing claims.
In January 2011, a committee of chiefs from Mashonaland West recommended Chengera for the position, before the government formally appointed him on May 21, 2020.
Chitinhe challenged the appointment in the High Court under case number HC 3413/20, seeking to have it set aside and to be declared substantive chief.
A separate urgent application, HC 4046/20, resulted in a September 9, 2020 order barring Chengera from assuming the duties of the chieftaincy pending determination of the main challenge.
In subsequent proceedings, the High Court also granted interim relief concerning an Isuzu double-cab vehicle allocated to Chengera, ordering its return to the authorities for safekeeping pending determination of the case.
The interim orders did not finally determine who was entitled to the Chivero chieftaincy.
In their latest appeal, the royal family maintains that the customary selection process had favoured Chitinhe before Chengera emerged as a rival candidate.
“The substantive Chief Chivero died in 2009 and the traditional process to select a new chief was coordinated by the then DA (District Administrator) for Chegutu and that process led to the selection of Tendayi Chitinhe and traditional customs were performed for his acceptance by our ancestors,” the letter states.
Signatories allege that the DA completed the necessary appointment paperwork before they were informed of an objection by Chengera.
They further claim that a subsequent meeting involving representatives of the succession houses resulted in Chengera being imposed on the community.
“Cornelius Chengera does not hail from any of the succession houses, what was done is against our traditions and customs.
“We objected to that imposition but before the objection could be heard, we discovered that Chengera had been appointed at the instance of Chief Dandawa,” the letter states.
The family’s account forms the basis of its continuing demand for Chitinhe’s recognition as substantive chief.
Ngezi accused of encroaching on rival territories
Beyond the succession dispute, the Chivero delegation accuses Ngezi of interfering in the territorial affairs of neighbouring traditional communities.
Among the disputed areas identified in the letter are Halfway and Gadzema, which the complainants claim fall under Mashayamombe jurisdiction.
They further allege that Ngezi orchestrated the establishment of the Mupamombe chieftaincy with the intention of transferring contested territory into the new jurisdiction.
“Chief Ngezi has orchestrated the creation of Mupamombe chieftainship to which he wants to give the territories to new chieftaincy.
“To prove this, Chief Ngezi has erected billboard at Halfway yet that territory to prove what we are saying,” reads the letter.
Members of the Chivero royal family contend that the creation or expansion of traditional jurisdictions without proper regard for established customary boundaries risks undermining the rights of communities whose land and heritage are tied to longstanding chiefly institutions.
An earlier complaint provides a historical record of similar allegations against Chief Ngezi.
In a letter dated September 18, 2013, the late Chief Chiketa Mashayamombe complained to the Chegutu District Administrator about what he described as encroachment into Mashayamombe territory.
“We, the Mashayamombe tribe, are greatly disturbed by the massive intrusion into our designated and lawfully acquired land by Chief Ngezi,” Chiketa wrote.
He also alleged that resettlement areas belonging to Mashayamombe had been taken over by Ngezi and that village heads were being installed within his jurisdiction.
A source within the Chegutu District Development Coordinator’s office, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, alleged that officials had attempted to influence the Mashayamombe succession process in favour of a preferred candidate.
“We all know that Chegutu belongs to Mashayamombe.
“Ngezi is simply using his position to grab the area, to the extent of trying to create another chieftainship in the disputed territory,” the source said.
The source further linked the prolonged vacancy in the Mashayamombe chieftaincy to alleged efforts to impose a preferred successor, claiming the clan had rejected the candidate.
The October 23 letter also challenges Chief Ngezi’s authority over the disputed areas, arguing that his own traditional jurisdiction is in Rimuka, Kadoma, rather than Chegutu.
“History has it that Ngezi chieftainship is located in Rimuka Battlefield not in Chegutu but he is busy taking territories from other chieftainships in our area,” the signatories wrote.
Mediation efforts under scrutiny
The Chivero delegation alleges that attempts to resolve the succession dispute through the Ministry of Local Government and the National Council of Chiefs have failed because Ngezi did not implement instructions intended to facilitate mediation.
According to the letter, a meeting chaired by Ngezi at Rainbow Towers Hotel failed to produce a resolution.
A subsequent meeting in Chinhoyi allegedly ended with Ngezi undertaking to refer the matter to National Council of Chiefs president Chief Mtshane Khumalo.
The signatories claim they later approached Khumalo directly after Ngezi failed to fulfil that undertaking.
They allege that Khumalo subsequently instructed Ngezi to convene a meeting of provincial chiefs to select a three-member committee to meet the Chivero royal houses and resolve the dispute.
“Eventually, a meeting was then held with the Honourable Chief M. Khumalo us and Chief Ngezi the result of which was that Chief Ngezi was instructed to convene a meeting of the Chiefs in Mashonaland West for the purpose of selecting a committee of three chiefs who should come Chivero to meet our houses and resolve the dispute,” the letter states.
The delegation says Ngezi was instructed not to participate in selecting the committee because of concerns about his involvement in the dispute.
“Honourable Chief M. Khumalo had noted clearly that Chief Ngezi was part of the problem,” the signatories wrote.
They allege that the committee had not been established by the time they submitted their latest appeal, despite a follow-up letter dated September 11, 2026.
A separate letter dated October 21, 2026, from Local Government and Public Works permanent secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti confirms that the ministry received correspondence concerning a demand for Ngezi’s removal.
“The Ministry has noted your concerns and request over the removal of Peter Pasipamire as Chief Ngezi,” Muguti wrote to Nyama Law Chambers.
He said the matter would be communicated to the National Council of Chiefs and advised the legal practitioners to formally present their case through its president.
Ancestral heritage at stake
The Chivero delegation also alleges that the territorial dispute threatens ancestral burial grounds and shrines, particularly around Lake Chivero and Ward 15.
It accuses Ngezi of advocating the transfer of Ward 15 to the Nyamweda chieftaincy despite objections from the community.
“The shrines of our ancestors are being desecrated with Cornelius Chengera not resisting it because he must consult Chief Ngezi first who is set to destroy our history and traditions,” the letter states.
The signatories argue that the disputed territory is inseparable from their community’s ancestral heritage and customary institutions, which they say must be protected from changes imposed without proper consultation.
Their complaint therefore extends beyond who occupies the Chivero chieftaincy to the authority exercised over neighbouring communities and the preservation of traditional boundaries.
All eyes on Chief Ngezi as royal family demands probe
Scrutiny is mounting on Chief Ngezi over allegations that he has used his position as Mashonaland West Provincial Chiefs Council chairman to influence succession disputes and interfere in the territorial affairs of neighbouring traditional communities.
This controversy comes amid renewed attention to the responsibilities and accountability of traditional leaders in Zimbabwe.
Earlier this month government announced that Mnangagwa had approved the recall of Chiefs Fortune Charumbira, Nhema and Chitanga from the Senate following a September 14 resolution by the Masvingo Provincial Assembly of Chiefs.
The announcement, made by Local Government and Public Works permanent secretary Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, placed the three chiefs under scrutiny over allegations concerning their conduct and the exercise of traditional authority.
The Chivero delegation’s October 23 letter accuse former National Council of Chiefs president Chief Fortune Charumbira of working in cahoots with Ngezi over Chengera’s appointment.
“Your Excellency, the erroneous appointment of Cornelius Chengera was at the instance of Chief Ngezi working together with former President of the National Chiefs Council, Chief F. Charumbira,” they wrote.
The delegation further alleges that Chief Ngezi favours traditional leaders whose appointments could help him retain his provincial leadership position.
“Chief Ngezi is insuring that Chiefs that are being installed are chiefs that would give him support to maintain his chairmanship in the province,” the letter states.
Zimbabwe’s constitutional framework requires traditional leaders to exercise their functions in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws, making impartiality and respect for customary procedures central to the legitimacy of traditional institutions.
In their final appeal to Mnangagwa, the Chivero representatives seek Chengera’s removal, Chitinhe’s appointment and action over the alleged encroachment on neighbouring traditional territories.
“We therefore request His Excellency to remove Cornelius Chengera who was appointed by imposition without the consent of our families and traditions and appoint Tendayi Chitinhe who was appointed in term of our traditions and customs and was given his svimbo to rule,” the letter states.
