King’s ransom from taxpayers

Living in the lap of luxury, the country’s 10 kings and one queen each demand R1.2 million from taxpayers to fund their lifestyle – that’s apart from the thousands of traditional leaders, each getting a salary of up to R270 000 per annum.

‘Corrupt’ chiefs, headmen open to manipulation by politicians for personal gain.

The institution of traditional leadership, which the taxpayer continues to fund, has long lost respect and relevance, with experts blaming this sorry state of affairs on their access to state salaries, perks, influence and power.

The Gauteng department of health’s multimillion-rand personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal in which presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko and her husband, Thandisizwe Diko, through his Royal Bhaca Projects, brought this African leadership institution into sharp focus.

According to a Government Gazette published in April, kings and queens earn R1 239 918 per annum, a senior traditional leader or chief earns R270 942 and headman/headwoman earns R116 418 per annum.

South Africa has 10 kings and one queen and thousands of lesser traditional leaders, including chiefs and headmen.

In rural areas, they play important roles in mediating local disputes, according to a 2015 article by pri.org.

In 2015, then Mpumalanga premier, now deputy president, David Mabuza splurged R34 million on new vehicles for 60 traditional leaders and another R2.4 million on four cows and one bull for each traditional leader.

This move, ahead of the 2016 local government elections, was widely seen as a bid to gain votes since in a predominantly rural province like Mpumalanga‚ kings and chiefs wield considerable power.

University of South Africa political analyst Professor Lesiba Tefo said the once-respected institution of traditional leadership, which was part of African identity, culture and heritage, has been corrupted.

“It has been so corrupted that it has lost my respect.

“It is important but has been corrupted in the past

26 years and traditional leaders were willing partners in this destruction.

“They identified not so much with the struggle for the poor, but very much with the ruling party whose perks they aspired to,” he said.

Tefo said that traditional leaders could play political roles without being politically aligned.

But, instead, they had nailed their colours to the mast and divided communities for self-serving gain.

The Eastern Cape government said that, Diko, who has gone by the title of iKumkani (king) of the amaBhaca and refers to his wife Khusela as indlovukazi (queen), was not in fact a king, but a “recognised” senior traditional leader.

Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders Sipho Mahlangu said that currently, there was no enforceable legal framework spelling out repercussions for misrepresentations in the institution of traditional leadership.

He said this was why, particularly senior traditional leaders or chiefs, could be used by politicians to benefit from community development projects.

Mahlangu said this was particularly common in the rural communities with mining opportunities, community projects as well as lucrative tenders.

“The Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act [0f 2019], which the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] has signed into law, makes provision for traditional leadership structures and repercussions for misrepresentation.

“However, the date for the Act to come into force is yet to be announced and the Act cannot be enacted until then,” he said.

Mahlangu said that until the date for the promulgation of the Act was announced, anyone could purport to be a traditional leader without suffering any legal consequences.

He also conceded that the institution of traditional leadership had been corrupted, but he added that until the Act was in force, the current state of affairs would continue.

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Traditional leadership has been so corrupted