Binga — Chief Kavula of Lubimbi area in Binga has died at the age of 90 after serving for 37 years.
Chief Kavula was the last surviving senior chief in Binga after the district lost Chief Sinamagonde who died at the age of 78 in November last year.
The two were neighbours.
Binga has 17 chiefs and a majority of them are from the younger generation.
His family confirmed his death at Binga Hospital on Sunday after being sick for a long time.
At his death, Chief Kavula was still pushing for clarity on the fate of more than 400 households from his area who are set to be displaced by the construction of the Gwayi-Shangani dam.
Six villages namely Kamombo, Chubuyu, Kanjondo, Bumputu, Chiboni and Kavunikwa making up Lubimbi 1 and 2 will be affected by the dam whose completion is set for this December.
There is no communication yet about where they will be resettled.
Lubimbi Ward 20 Councillor Chrispen Munkuli said the chief’s death had left the community without a leader.
“Our chief died on Sunday and this is a sad loss to the whole community especially at this time when we were still pushing for clarity on what will happen to people when the dam is completed,” he said.
Chief Kavula was born in 1931.
He was appointed Chief Kavula on February 1, 1984, replacing his brother Zenge Kavula who had died in 1978.
Chief Kavula and his subjects settled in Lubimbi in the 1950s.
The chief will be buried on Friday at his homestead.
He is survived by four wives, 16 children, and 49 grand and great-grandchildren.