Traditional leaders under the auspices of the Association of Traditional Leaders (ATL) from Mopani descended on Polokwane on Wednesday to hand over their grievances to the provincial leadership.
Accompanied by dozens of their community members, they sang and danced to Tsonga traditional songs, pleading for government to recognise their traditional leadership.
Series of traditional leadership disputes
Limpopo is currently grappling with traditional leadership disputes. Numerous of these disputes are enrolled in the Limpopo High Court sitting in Polokwane.
Chief Divili Mavunda led a contingent of disgruntled villagers from various traditional leaderships. These are under Maswanganyi, Siyandhani, Dzumeri, Khakhala, Mthimkhulu, Mahuntsi, Shimange, Bokisi, Gon’on’o, Mahlathi, Hlomela, Ndindani and Ndengeza.
Mavunda said since his inauguration in 2021, his presidency has never been a bed of roses.
His vast land of over 18 villages has been partly invaded by other greedy chiefs.
Mavunda said some traditional leaders in the Dzumeri area are taking advantage of him after realising that even the government is giving him the run around.
“I am a legitimate senior traditional leader with a chieftaincy certificate and a monthly allowance. But that’s all I get from government.
No office, no official car nor cellphone
“I still don’t have a furnished office for administrative purposes. And I don’t have a car to attend meetings with other chiefs and a cellular phone to communicate with my subjects. It pains me because the other traditional leaders have those things,” Mavunda said.
Princess Tsakani Nkwinika said she was installed as a regent in 2015. However, she has been struggling to regain her ancestral land in Giyani.
“We have proven that we are the rightful owners of the land by submitting all the required documents. But so far we have been hitting brick wall after brick wall.
“Maybe I’ve been undermined because I am a woman. Our government is not taking the role of traditional leadership seriously. It is an arduous battle we as women we will have to fight tooth and nail — literally,” she said.
Delivering the memorandum of grievances to the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlement and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta), ATL secretary Solly Baloyi said the Tsonga chieftaincy is plagued by a litany of grievances, which Coghsta has been overlooking.
Feel humiliated by government
“As traditional leaders, we can no longer remain silent. The truth must be spoken. We continue to suffer humiliation and oppression in 30 years of our democracy. As if we are still under the apartheid regime.
“In the repressive government, derogatory names like headmen, independent headmen and sub-chiefs were used to define these tihosi (Senior Traditional Leaders). Unfortunately, Limpopo provincial government is failing to give our senior traditional leaders the proper recognition they deserve,” he said.
Baloyi insisted that a commission be established to examine and restore the chieftains of several traditional communities that were unfairly lost during the apartheid era.
“As traditional leaders, we demand that the constitution of traditional councils in Mopani, particularly in Greater Giyani, be declared null and void. Furthermore, the organisation calls on the minister of Coghsta to come up with a date for the proper establishment of traditional councils in Mopani.
Call for workshops to address the issues
“We are appealing to the provincial government to conduct induction workshops for all senior traditional leaders. This to ensure the effective operation of their newly established traditional communities. ATL insists on the immediate implementation of the Limpopo Black Authorities Act Repeal Act of 2011. This aims to rectify governance issues affecting traditional leadership structures,” he said.
In the absence of Coghsta MEC Basikopo Makamu, Godfrey Netshanze received the memorandum. He promised to hand it over to the MEC
