The Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has set aside an amount of three million rands for training and development of traditional affairs to enable them to perform their legal mandate.
This was revealed by MEC Gqobana today, 14 October 2009, at the graduation ceremony of 105 traditional leaders held in King Williams Town. The training which focused on local economic development, integrated development planning and community development was done in partnership with the Local Government Sector Training (LGSETA).
Chief Gcinibandla Ndevu who represented Contralesa and is also a member of the House of Traditional Leaders in the Eastern Cape said they welcome the efforts made by the department in developing the traditional leaders’ skills. He further said they would appreciate if further training could be done in Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), Structures Act, Systems Act, Customary law Act, Law of Succession and Constitution of South Africa because all of these impinge on the work of traditional leaders.
Chief Ngangomhlaba Mathanzima who is the Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders in the Eastern Cape congratulated the traditional leaders who were graduating. He said this was evident that the House of Traditional Leaders is working hard in trying to develop traditional leaders. He said the customs of Xhosa people is under extreme pressure whereas the Constitution emphasises that all customs should be respected.
Chief Mathanzima urged traditional leaders to refrain from fighting with councillors as this derails development. He said chiefs are custodians of land in rural areas and by law they are supposed to be consulted if there is going to be development in their areas.
“If councillors are not doing that they are breaking the law and you have a right to confront them,” said Chief Mathanzima.
MEC said the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has developed a capacity building strategy for traditional leaders and institutions in South Africa whose aim amongst others is to:
* Provide for a research and evaluation basis for the promotions of an understanding of the issues pertaining to traditional leadership
* Making the boundaries between municipalities and traditional leadership institutions more permeable thereby increasing cooperation between these institutions for development purpose.
MEC Gqobana said the partnership between the House of Traditional Leaders and LGSETA provide a sound basis for the training of traditional leaders to enable them to respond to the needs of rural communities.
“We will jointly be launching an Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programme which will be designed for traditional leaders who cannot participate in training programmes such as this one,” said MEC.
MEC Gqobana announced that the Eastern Cape Province is the first province in the entire country to revise salaries of Iinkosana and that 1 162 of them will benefit from this revision. He also announced that the revision will be backdated from September 2009 and that Iinkosana will receive their backdated salaries at the end of October, to the applause of the traditional leaders. MEC promised traditional leaders that this will be done and warned that if it doesn’t happen heads will roll.
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
2 November 2009
Source: Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://eclgta.ecprov.gov.za/)
