Johannesburg – The widespread killing of izinduna (headmen) in KwaZulu-Natal is fueled by corrupt amakhosi (chiefs) who have turned headmen positions into cash cows.
This is the view of Ubumbambano Lwezinduna, an organisation representing traditional leaders in the province.
The organisation that held an imbizo on Thursday at Ulundi in the heartland of Zululand said the traditional tribal councils had been infiltrated by rogue elements who wanted to politicize the house of traditional leaders.
The gathering was aimed at deliberating strategies that will be adopted to bring an end to the killing of traditional leaders in the province which has reached crisis level.
“Izinduna positions are being sold and amakhosi are implicated. Bribes are rife in the traditional councils. We have now resorted to taking drastic steps to defend ourselves because the government and police have failed us,” said organization’s secretary Falendoda Malinga.
The callous killing of Mfanuvele Mdletshe of Mandlakazi traditional council in Nongoma, northern KZN is the latest victim of the ongoing assassinations. The demise of Mdletshe brought to 35, the number of traditional leaders who have been killed since last year in what many believe is a well-orchestrated plan to destabilize the house of traditional leadership in the province. It is believed that the deceased was cornered in his homestead by heavily armed gunmen who fired a volley of high calibre rounds of ammunition killing him instantly.
Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, chairperson of KZN House of Traditional Leaders told Sunday World that traditional leaders are now forced to constantly look over their shoulders fearing gun wielding assassins who are hunting them down.
“Police are finding it difficult to solve the murder cases. As a result, the killers are on the loose planning other attacks on traditional leaders,” said inkosi Chiliza.
Speculations are rife that the killings are driven by the remuneration of izinduna which was introduced by then President Jacob Zuma in 2015.
Zuma acting on the recommendation of the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers decided to standardize the salaries of the country’s more than 5000 headmen to pay a flat annual salary of R84, 125.
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