Chief Mupungu Wanted To kill Me: Cousin

By Stephen Ephraem

CONTROVERSIAL Chipinge traditional leader, Chief Mupungu (real name Happyson Nxumalo Mupungu) is in the news again for yet another wrong reason. He is up for assault.

Chief Mpungu was previously in the news after selling an Isuzu twin cab which he was allocated to him by the Government of Zimbabwe. Also, he made headlines after selling 5 tons of Presidential rice meant for his subjects.

This time, Chief Mupungu is wrong side of law for assaulting his cousin, Timothy Mupungu whom he attacked with a stone and sustained a deep cut on his forehead and a swollen right eye.

According to the medical affidavit signed by a Chipinge District Hospital medical practitioner Dr Matekenya O which this paper is possession of, Timothy sustained injuries that are categorised as serious.

In an interview with Post on Sunday, Timothy revealed that Chief Mupungu assaulted him for what the traditional leader claims to be “meddling with family affairs.”

“It was around 5pm in the even when I was sitting at our shopping centre at Makoho that Chief Mupungu arrived riding on a motor cycle. Upon seeing me, he disembarked from the bike and picked up a stone which to assaulted me on my forehead.

“Fearing for my life, I tried to run away from the scene but I collapsed and passed out. I woke up around midnight and was told that I had lost a lot of blood and was getting first aid from my sisters-in-law.

“The following day my family ferried me to Mabee to seek medical help at Mabee Rural Health Centre. We made a report to the police base at Mabee. The medical centre referred me to Chipinge District Hospital.

“When the police from Mabee went to Makoho to search for the chief, he and his wife fled to neighbouring Mozambique,” said Timothy Mupungu.

Asked what exactly could have triggered the chief to assault him Timothy said that Chief Mupungu is no longer comfortable with his immediate clan members.

“Chief Mupungu is no longer comfortable seeing Nxumalo tribesman whom he accuses of wanting to topple him from the chieftainship. End of last year, Mupungu elders petitioned the Government of Zimbabwe to removed him from being a chief because he is accused of several crimes.

“He is accusing me of siding with the elders a claim which he can not prove right now. He has also sought a peace order with former acting chiefs of Mupungu. He knows his flaws that why he is angry with every member of the Mupungu clan,” added Timothy.

Efforts to contact Chief Mupungu proved fruitless as his two mobiles couldn’t get through.