Bhanga visits royal family
DA Eastern Cape premier candidate Nqaba Bhanga met Chief Viwe Hebe Hebe and the royal family in Mbekweni Village, Whittlesea, on Sunday.
Chief Hebe is the senior traditional leader of the AbaThembu Traditional Council in Whittlesea.
Bhanga was joined by the party’s provincial spokesman Mlindi Nhanha, MP Terri Stander, DA Enoch Mgijima Constituency leader and several local councillors.
Bhanga had pledged to visit all kings and chiefs in the province after he was elected DA EC provincial leader in 2016. The visit was also to introduce a new DA councillor, Mbongeni Mapila, to the chief while Bhanga pledged his support for the institution of traditional leadership.
The DA indicated that Bhanga’s visit to the Great Place was also a courtesy call, “as it is customary that before he works in a chief’s territory, he must announce his presence at the Great Place”.
The party’s provincial leader was received by Chief Hebe, members of the royal family, members of the traditional council and community elders with Hebe briefing Bhanga about his seven-year legal battle to affirm the legitimacy of his chieftainship.
In 2013, a battle about the chieftainship ended in the Constitutional Court, where his chieftainship was confirmed in July 2018.
Hebe also raised service delivery-related issues including fencing of ploughing fields, the need for a shearing shed for sheep farmers in Mbekweni, the provision of water, the revival of irrigation schemes to create jobs and bad gravel roads.
Stander was assigned by Bhanga to take up the issues in parliament and report back to Hebe as soon as possible.