DECOLONISE YOUR MIND
Don’t insult us by calling us chiefs, warn traditional leaders
Eastern Cape traditional leaders do not want to be addressed as “chiefs”, saying the term is improper, insulting and degrading.
This comes in the wake of IFP leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s public dressing down of President Cyril Ramaphosa last week for referring to him as “chief”.
While they said they did not want to get involved in the Buthelezi and Ramaphosa saga, Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), national and provincial leaders, agreed that the term “chief” should be done away with.
Contralesa secretary-general Zolani Mkiva and Eastern Cape provincial secretary Nkosi Mkhanyiseli Dudumayo both agreed the term “chief”, for referring to a traditional leader, should not be used.
“We have for many years been trying in vain to sensitise government structures. It is insulting and degrading to be referred to as chiefs rather than iinkosi,” Dudumayo said.
Labour deputy minister Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa, who is also Hebege traditional leader and Contralesa honorary presweekend. ident, has for many years been vocal and consistent on public platforms lashing out at usage of the term “chief”.
Holomisa could not be reached at the time of writing.
Contralesa and Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyane said a law was enacted 15 years ago doing away with the title of chief.
According to the Traditional Leadership Governance Framework Act 2003, a senior traditional leader (formerly chief) should be addressed as nkosi for AmaXhosa, inkosi for AmaZulu and moerena for BaSotho and other nations.
The traditional leaders said despite that, the government still referred to them as chiefs and the term still remain part of the general lexicon.
“We agreed as part of decolonising the institution of traditional leadership that we must go back to our original titles and not used the title used by the colonial regime and the apartheid government.
“We found the term ‘chief’ downgrades the position of iinkosi,” said Mkiva.
While the IFP has demanded a public apology from Ramaphosa, likening the term “chief” to “k***r”, Contralesa believes the term is not racist, but merely bureaucratic.
The IFP has demanded a public apology, likening the term ‘chief’ to ‘k***r’