Chiefs in need of more resources
IF THE government really plans to recognise traditional leaders as governance and development stakeholders, more resources and more authority will have to come their way before they can develop their communities.
This was a message given by Buffalo City Metro’s (BCM) deputy mayor Zoliswa Matana at the funeral of a senior traditional leader of the AmaXhosa nation and AmaTshawe dynasty, Nkosi Barney Ntabazijongene Kubashe, at Peelton near King William’s Town on Saturday.
Kubashe, who died aged 60, was also the Imidange Traditional Council head and one of 41 heads of traditional councils in the AmaRharhabe Kingdom.
He served in the BCM council until he died after a short illness on March 5.
Matana said government needed to deploy resources, such as tractors and livestock, to traditional leaders.
“Great places must be places of development and to achieve that, the government must offer them all the necessary resources, while municipal councillors must work closely with traditional leaders to ensure development and services go to the people,” said Matana.
She urged traditional leaders to fight land invasions, saying instead land must be tilled to improve food security.
AmaRharhabe Queen Regent Noloyiso Sandile, through her spokesman Prince Zolile BurnsNcamashe, described Kubashe as a humble leader who had ruled with dignity and respect.
“He was a trustworthy traditional leader with a strong backbone.
“He preached the importance of education as a tool to strengthen traditional leadership,” said BurnsNcamashe.
He added that “if it was not because of the fortitude of Kubashe’s ancestors, such as Mdange and Botomane, the house of King Phalo could not have been the head of AmaTshawe and of AmaXhosa”.
A message of condolence from Bhisho legislature speaker Noxolo Kiviet and cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa, neither of whom attended, were read at the funeral.
Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders and Contralesa provincial chairman Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana also called for equal status of customary and civil law.
“We cannot have a situation where the government on one hand recognises traditional leadership, while on the other, oppresses traditional courts and instead promotes western courts.
“Traditional courts are not creatures of colonial or apartheid legal systems. Traditional courts have power to administer justice with the principle of reconciliation of parties,” said Nonkonyana.
He said they would make a presentation tomorrow in the National Assembly calling for the passing of the Traditional Courts Bill.
He also urged civic organisations, such as Sanco and residents associations, to be in the forefront in strengthening traditional leadership. —