RHODESIA: NEW CHIEF OF CHINAMORA TRIBAL TRUST LAND INSTALLED BY MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

Record ID: 842129

  • Title: RHODESIA: NEW CHIEF OF CHINAMORA TRIBAL TRUST LAND INSTALLED BY MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
  • Date: 3rd April 1976
  • Summary: 1. SCU Chief Chinamora being half carried across arena 0.10 2. SV Chief Chinamora seated on mat PAN UP TO Guard of honour (2 shots) 0.30 3. CU Soldier patrolling crowd 0.40 4. LV PAN Mr. Jack Mussett (Minister for Internal Affairs) speaking through interpreter PAN TO Chief listening 0.54 5. CU Other chiefs listening under marquee 1.02 6. SV Chief supporters blowing horns as the Chief is helped on with his red robe 1.07 7. GV Crowd watching 1.10 8. SV Mr. Mussett placing gold plate around chief's neck and putting white helmet on his head and shaking hands with him (3 shots) 1.26 9. SV Men and women dancing and singing 1.38 10. SV Chief in regalia walking across arena with supporters chanting (3 shots) 2.00 Initials CL/1852 CL/1913 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 18th April 1976 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CHINAMORA, NEAR SALISBURY, RHODESIA
  • City:
  • Country: Zimbabwe
  • Topics:
  • Reuters ID: LVA9A2ZIZ47O4TU0PBMYS3K6PZ32
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: In a colourful ceremony in Chinamora, a Tribal Trust Land near Salisbury, Rhodesia, the new 70 year-old Chieftain of the Chinamora tribe was installed on Thursday (1 April). The ceremony was the climax of a process that had taken seven years to choose a successor to the former chief.

    During those seven years, the new Chief Chinamora had had to be accepted by the tribe's ancestral spirits. During the long wait for the new successor to be chosen, the acting chief died.

    About 5,000 people from the Goromonzi and Chinamora areas attended the traditional installation ceremony, and throughout most of the day the crowds kept up their dancing and singing of war songs. The noise grow to a climax when Rhodesia's Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr. jack Mussett, handed the new chieftain his red robe, his white helmet, and his badge of chieftainship.

    Also present at the ceremony were Mr. Mussett's deputy, Mr. Ronald walker; the Secretary of State for Internal Affairs, Mr.don Yardley; the Goromonzi District commissioner, mr. Don Parkinson; the Mayor of Salisbury, Alderman douglas Tanner; and representatives of the army, police and air force. Other guests included local headmen and elders, as well as members of the council of Chiefs.

    The installation began in the morning when the new Chief was carried to a thatched shelter, where he was to sit on a reed mat for most of the ceremony. He was flanked by elders from the other two houses of chieftainship, whose presence showed they had accepted his appointment.

    In a speech to the crowd, Mr. Mussett spoke about the history and achievements of the new chief's people, the Vasha-washa, as well as congratulating him on his appointment. The wooden trumpets, known as umuhanzi, which are played at the installation or death of a chief, were blown frequently throughout the ceremony.

    The new Chief Chinamora is the tribal leader of about 40,000 people living in an area of about 1,000 square kilometres (621.37 square miles). His Council, with three clinics, three beer-halls and eight dip tanks to control, has an annual budget of about GBP155,000.

    SYNOPSIS: The new chieftain of the Chinamora Tribal Trust Land in Rhodesia, was installed a ta colourful ceremony near Salisbury on Thursday. The new Chief is seventy years old, and the ceremony was the climax of a process that had taken seven years to choose a successor to the old Chief. During those seven years the new Chief of Chinamora had had to be accepted by the ancestral spirits.

    About five thousand people from the Goromonizi and Chinamora areas attended the traditional ceremony, and they spent most of the day dancing and singing was songs. The guest of honour was Rhodesia's Minister for Internal Affairs, Mr. Jack Mussett. In a speech to the crowd, he spoke of the history and achievements of the new Chief's own people, the Vasha-washa.

    Other important guests included members of the Council of Chiefs, as well as local headmen and elders. The traditional wooden trumpets, which are played at the installation or death of a chief, were blown frequently throughout the day.

    SYNOPSIS: The climax of the ceremony came when the Minister, Mr. Mussett, presented the new Chieftain with his red robe, his white helmet, and his badge of office. Chief Chinamora was flanked throughout by elders from the other two houses of chieftainship. Their presence showed that they had accepted his appointment. The Rhodesian Government had taken a contingent of foreign journalists to the ceremony in a special bus.

    Mr. Ian Smith's government believes these chiefs will be the decisive voice representing their people in any future solution of the country's current constitutional problems. Chief Chinamora is the tribal leader of about forty thousand people in the Tribal Trust Land, which has a budget of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds annually.
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