A traditional leader went rogue mode blocking a boarding school with his government truck. Ephias Munodawafa, known locally as Chief Murinye, claims Riverton Academy in Masvingo legally does not exist despite housing nearly a thousand students. He insists the proprietor, Philimon Mutangiri, totally ignored gaining permission before building.
Murinye physically obstructed the path into Riverton Academy Extension using an Isuzu to prevent parents from dropping off their kids. He argues the facility sits on communal grazing land seized for personal gain without approval. The chief maintains that proper council applications remain unfinished and calls the institution illegal.
Allegations surfaced suggesting Mutangiri bribed village heads for thirty hectares of crowded land. Murinye noted he punished those sub-leaders with cattle fines for misconduct. He also slammed the eight-hundred-dollar fees as unattainable for local villagers, labeling the project a selfish land grab rather than community development.
The blockade eventually lifted after Ezra Chadzamira, the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, requested peace. However, Murinye defended his actions, citing constitutional section 283 regarding his independent authority. He remains open to helping Mutangiri find a legitimate site if strict legal processes get followed.
Murinye physically obstructed the path into Riverton Academy Extension using an Isuzu to prevent parents from dropping off their kids. He argues the facility sits on communal grazing land seized for personal gain without approval. The chief maintains that proper council applications remain unfinished and calls the institution illegal.
Allegations surfaced suggesting Mutangiri bribed village heads for thirty hectares of crowded land. Murinye noted he punished those sub-leaders with cattle fines for misconduct. He also slammed the eight-hundred-dollar fees as unattainable for local villagers, labeling the project a selfish land grab rather than community development.
The blockade eventually lifted after Ezra Chadzamira, the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, requested peace. However, Murinye defended his actions, citing constitutional section 283 regarding his independent authority. He remains open to helping Mutangiri find a legitimate site if strict legal processes get followed.
