AmaNdebele Ndzunza Sokhulumi Traditional Council held their annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday, 26 April 2014. The Traditional Council’s AGM was the first ever since the inauguration of Chief Mkhambi Petrus (MP) Mahlangu. Chief Mahlangu was officially inaugurated last year after being reinstated as the Senior Traditional Leader of the area by the National Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims.
The Traditional Council, as per the Traditional Leadership legislation is compelled to hold an Annual General Meeting once a year in their traditional community to report among others issues pertaining to the following:
- Table their Annual Budget
- Income and Expenditure - Usage of the grant funding and funding received from other sources
- Projects / Programs initiated and implemented
- Challenges encountered
These reports will be tabled and submitted before the Gauteng MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to be elevated to parliament.
Presenting the report, member of the Traditional Council, SK Mahlangu said that the objective was to inform and account to the community about the activities that the council undertook in 2013, to inform and account to the community about the levies received by the office in 2013 and to inform the community about the challenges experienced since the reinstallation of ikosi MP Mahlangu.
“Sokhulumi village is a traditional community that is dominated by the Ndebele speaking people but also Zulu, Sepedi, Swazi, Sotho and Tsonga speaking people. Recently Sokhulumi has had white people that have applied for residential sites and that are determined to stay in the village,” Mahlangu said. He said that the most challenges that they are experiencing is the influx of illegal foreign nationals (mostly Pakistanis) who illegally occupy most of the vacant land meant for the residents. “These people are not cooperating with the Traditional Council and they make it difficult for us to execute our duties properly and most of them do not even have papers to be in the country,” Mahlangu said.
Mahlangu highlighted that they have however had successful projects in the area. “We have awarded land to different successful community projects for development,” Mahlangu added that “we can proudly claim ownership to community projects such as kids’ library, community library, poultry projects and arts and crafts, amongst others.”
Furthermore, Mahlangu mentioned that since the reinstatement of Chief MP, “there is vast improvement in how the finances of the council are managed. “We can confidently say to the community that the council’s finances have never been better and we have future projects initiated to benefit and better the lives of the community,” SK Mahlangu mentioned.
The meeting culminated in the handing over of a Ford Ranger double cab bakkie to the Traditional Council by the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The department is mandated to give administrative and political support to the traditional council. The vehicle will assist the council to better execute their functions and efficiently and effectively serve its constituency. “As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, we are elated that we have come up with legislations that recognise, protect and promote traditional leadership as one of Africa’s oldest type of leadership. Beyond that we provide support and capacity building to traditional leadership”, said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Ntombi Mekgwe.
Receiving the vehicle, chief MP Mahlangu said that he appreciates the assistance and support by the department. “We appreciate it that the government recognises the traditional leadership and does everything possible to ensure the smooth running of traditional councils. We will forever be grateful,” Inkosi Mahlangu said. The chief mentioned that as the rightfully reinstated senior traditional leader he and his council will ensure that they continue to serve the community with dignity and honesty. “We will ensure that we forever comply with the legislative requirements and serve with transparency and accountability all the time,” the chief concluded.
For more information contact:
Motsamai Motlhaolwa
Cell: 079 897 2240
