Two local chief are at each others throats over a firewood territory; Chief Serima vehemently complained about subjects from chief Francis Chaka invading his territory to poach the scarce cooking fuel.
The two chiefs whose territories mark the boundaries for Masvingo and Midlands exuded their anger at each other at the recently commenced Environmental Management Agency clean up campaign at Chaka business center, some kilometers along the Harare -Masvingo highway.
Addressing hundreds of villagers who attended the clean up campaign, Chief Serima accused Chief Chaka’s people of causing deforestation in his area by poaching firewood.
“My challenge is that my colleagues’ subjects are poaching firewood and that’s the reason why my area is heavily deforested,
” I will be working tirelessly with my officers and we will sleep in the bushes if need be because these firewood poachers come at night when we are asleep,”he said
Chief Chaka also asked EMA for permission to fine the perpetrators of deforestation.
When it was chance for Chief Chaka to give his remarks he defended his subjects arguing that the firewood territory was no man’s land and every kingdom has a right over that land.
“Going back to what my fellow Chief has been saying about my subjects, the accusations are fake both kingdoms are responsible for the deforestation, Chief Serima does not own the area, it is no man’s land,” fumed Chief Chaka much to the amazement of the organizers of the event.
After the clean up campaign the two chiefs refused to share the same table, but however a villager Mr Kukura Machivenyika reconciled the two and the tampers which were flaring came to a stop.
An impeccable source at the event told this reporter that Chief Serima just wanted to paint Chief Chaka with a black brush so that he would be the one to win a prize as the best Chief as far as conserving the environment was concerned.
