Traditional leaders call for greater powers in local government at annual summit

Traditional leadersin the Eastern Cape are demanding expanded powers in local government, warning that their institution has been increasingly marginalised despite its role in governing rural communities. The call was made at the Eastern Cape Traditional Leadership Summit in KuGompo City, where Contralesa provincial chair Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana saidtraditional leadersshould be granted greater authority and representation in municipal structures. “Our institution has been sidelined and relegated to the periphery of decision-making,” he said.

“We need to be part of the solution to address the challenges facing our communities.” Nonkonyana, who is also an MP, a member of parliament’s select committee on security and justice and an advocate of the high court, said the participation of traditional leaders in governance had steadily declined since the dawn of democracy. Contralesa is pushing for greater recognition and participation in governance. Nonkonyana said traditional leaders had initially welcomed amendments to section 81 of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act of 1998, which provided for 30% representation of traditional leaders in municipalities.

“Although we had few representatives, our members acted very hard to represent the institution.” He said traditional leaders had worked with municipalities on issues affecting communities, including efforts to curb deaths linked to botched circumcision ceremonies conducted under the pretext of initiation. “The Local Government: Municipal Structures Act was further amended to restrict our participation to only three senior traditional leaders,” Nonkonyana said.