On 14 September 2026, Chief Fortune Charumbira, Chief Chitanga, and Chief Nhema were recalled from the Masvingo Chief’s council.
The Recall Vote Mechanics
- The Motion: The motion to recall the trio was tabled by Chief Nemamwa (Fungai Manjiva), a recently installed traditional leader whose jurisdiction covers the Great Zimbabwe area.
- The Margin: The vote passed by a landslide at the Masvingo Provincial Chiefs Assembly, with 42 out of 45 attending chiefs voting in favor of the recall. Only 3 chiefs (all from Mwenezi) voted against it, while 3 ballots from Chiredzi were declared spoiled.
- Direct Confirmation: Chief Chitanga (Feleni Chauke) confirmed the resolution directly, stating, “Yes, we have been booted out. 42 out of 45 chiefs voted in favour of the motion.”
Political Context & High-Level Presence
- Senior Officials Present: The provincial assembly meeting at the local Masvingo hotel was attended by Ezra Chadzamira (Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution) and Rabson Mavenyengwa (ZANU-PF Masvingo Provincial Chairman).
- National Alignment Speculation: Political analysts note that the presence of senior party and state officials strongly indicates top-level government endorsement of the purge. Local reporting links the sudden move to internal ZANU-PF dynamics around Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 and broader succession politics, following recent warnings from Chadzamira that there would be “gnashing of teeth”.
Impact on Senate Seats
- While traditional leaders in the Senate are drawn from those elected to the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Chitanga noted that the provincial assembly vote directly removes them from the Council delegation, though formal procedural steps in Parliament are required to finalize the Senate seat vacancies.
