In protest and registering their dismay and unhappiness about the Cogta head of department Gabisile Gumbi-Masilela, traditional leaders who are attending the traditional leaders summit at Mphekweni Beach resort near Port Alfred, marched out the conference room as the HoD was about to talk.
Gumbi-Masilela was to talk about the role of traditional leaders in governance structures at local government.
The traditional leaders embarked on the protest saying they could not be addressed by someone who had since she arrived in the department avoided them and turned down their meetings with her.
The Daily Dispatch understands that the decision to march out of the room was crafted during the traditional leaders' caucus on Wednesday. The summit was forced to go to an early tea break after the traditional leaders left in the hall only government leaders and leaders of other sectors.
Among those who were left shocked with the more than 200 traditional leaders were Cogta deputy minister Obed Bapela, Cogta MEC Fikile Xasa and others. But when they marched out there was nothing said as to why they marched out and when the meeting resumed nobody said anything about it.
The Dispatch is looking to speak to the Cogta MEC and Contralesa leadership later in the day...