Traditional leaders seek right to fully exploit natural resources

Traditional councils should have the rights to exploit natural resources within their areas of jurisdiction for the benefit of communities.

The call for government recognition was made at Contralesa’s three-day provincial policy conference at the Savoy Hotel in Mthatha at the weekend.

“We are to engage government, particularly the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Environmental Affairs, to ask them to recognise the rights of traditional councils to exploit the natural resources within their areas of jurisdiction for the benefit of their communities,” provincial Contralesa chairman Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana said yesterday.

The policy conference, held under the theme “Traditional Leaders: Where to Now?”, also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Contralesa in the province.

The conference resolved to:

Establish a commission composed of experts on traditional issues to compile a procedure manual to capacitate traditional leaders in governance;

Traditional leaders should all have their great places, traditional councils and houses of traditional leaders accessible to the aged and people with disabilities;

The Contralesa women’s wing should hold its provincial conference no later than August and the provincial leadership to commission experts to consider participation of women in traditional institutions; and

The conference resolved that traditional leaders “should ideally” be above party politics but this should be discussed nationally with a view for all traditional leaders in South Africa to adopt a common position on this.

Nonkonyana said the conference also resolved that traditional leaders must continue participating in municipal councils.

“However, the leadership should engage the government with a view that traditional leaders are not unfairly discriminated against, both in their participation as well as remuneration and privileges given to all councillors. Partnerships between local municipalities and traditional councils must be encouraged,” he said.

Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa urged royal families to develop ways to address disputes among members without going to court, saying this was diminishing the role of royal families.

Xasa also said he had been confronted by a group of sub-headmen saying the government should include them on the payroll.

“According to my knowledge, oonozithetyana neebhodi were never remunerated by government, but given stipends by their communities. Senior traditional leaders and kings must debate over this and make recommendations accordingly,” said Xasa.

Eastern Cape has 1414 traditional leaders on its payroll. These include four kings, two principal traditional leaders, 215 senior traditional leaders and 1193 headmen and women.