Contralesa youth want concentrated leadership

AS THE race to lead the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders gains momentum, the youth wing of the Congress for Traditional Leaders of South Africa wants whoever takes over, to also lead Contralesa.

This, they say, is to avoid two centres of power.

If everything goes according to the wishes of the youth wing, Contralesa provincial chairman and founding chairman of the ECHTL, Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana, will return to lead the institution.

Contralesa Youth Wing provincial chairman Prince Ntsindiso Mdunyelwa said in April last year the Contralesa provincial general council resolved that the provincial chairman of Contralesa should be the provincial chairman of the ECHTL.

“This was not just an opportunistic approach, but several considerations were made before arriving at this conclusion. Among the series of considerations was integrated sound relations, cohesion and centred leadership between ECHTL executive and the provincial executive committee (PEC) of Contralesa.”

He said the youth wing would expose any actions that sought to “subvert the resolutions of the organisation. Organisational discipline is also about implementation and to be bound by the decisions of the organisation and those of the majority. We therefore submit that the PEC of the mother body must closely monitor this matter as this issue has a potential of repelling the organisation from its intended progression”.

Nonkonyana confirmed of this resolution.

“We are trying to finalise the alignment of districts. We want Contralesa district chairpersons to chair the traditional leaders’ district or local houses,” said Nonkonyana.

The revival of the call by the youth wing come as traditional leaders lobby for positions in both ECHTL and local houses.

Some traditional leaders in the province have punted different names to lead the ECHTL, including Nonkonyana, Nkosi Dumisani Gwadiso and Nkosi Xolile Ndevu.

The new leadership would replace the outgoing executive as led by Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima and Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe, who have led the house for more than 15 years.

Mdunyelwa said they were concerned that the composition of the ECHTL would consist strictly of senior traditional leaders (chiefs) as no headmen/women would be voted to serve in the institution.

No headmen/women will be members of the National House of Traditional Leaders or chair the local and district houses of traditional leaders.

“To us, this is purely a debunked discrimination and our prima facie view is that this law is unconstitutional and must be challenged. Chapter 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa does not have any differentiation between chiefs and iinkosi zelali (headmen/ but refers to all iinkosi as traditional leaders.

“We are preparing papers with the lawyers to challenge this careless and superficial law,” said Mdunyelwa. — the existence