Senior politicians, government and traditional leaders have bemoaned the abuse of alcohol among traditional leaders, claiming it destroys the fibre of the community.
The remarks were made at AmaQwathi national paramount head Nkosi Zwelakhe Jomo Dalasile’s funeral at Nkondlo Great Place near Ngcobo on Thursday.
He died in his sleep on New Year’s eve after ruling more than 44 villages for 30 years.
ANC national chair and mineral resources minister Gwede Mantashe said traditional leaders needed to be visionaries who led by example.
“We mustn’t be led by drunkards. We must have a strong leadership,” said Mantashe.
Mantashe is a member of the Qwathi royal clan.
He said to be proud of being a clan member should not be misconstrued as being tribalistic. “But it’s being patriotic and understanding your roots.”
Mantashe said the infighting among members of royal families in SA had become cancerous and weakened traditional leadership. “There’s nothing that divides a nation quite like contestation of succession. This is the biggest rot that kills our traditional leadership.
“Everyone wants to be a heir, everyone wants to be a leader. If we don’t know our lineage and have a divided royal family, we will end up having weak nations. The institution of traditional leadership is under siege, not from the ANC but from the traditional leadership itself.”
Mantashe said young traditional leaders needed to be properly groomed.
Co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa said the ANC would not keep quiet while traditional leaders went astray, and invited them to assist in building a strong and united ANC.
Mantashe, who personally paid for the erection of Dalasile’s tombstone, called on all AmaQwathi to come together and assist in erecting tombstones of traditional leaders of AmaQwathi.
AbaThembu acting King Azenathi Dalindyebo praised the role played by Dalasile on uniting and creating stability on the kingship of AbaThembu.
He described Dalasile as a father figure who had helped him immensely during his dad, Buyelekhaya’s incarceration.
Azenathi announced Dalasile’s son, Olwethu Lihle Dalasile, as the new traditional leader of the nation...