Traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal are calling for protection and support from government.
This follows a sharp rise in killings of traditional leaders over the past year. In the latest incident, a regent from the KwaNyuswa Traditional Council, Makhosonke Ngcobo, was abducted from his home by men posing as police officers.
He is still missing despite a frantic search by police.
In March, Inkosi Manqoba Mkhize of the Amumbuzane Traditional Council was ambushed and gunned down with his aide. The House of Traditional Leaders in the province has raised the alarm.
Chairperson of the organisation in KwaZulu-Natal, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, believes family disputes over succession often lead to violence.
“It is possible that the killings are a result of family disputes. When I speak to my colleagues about my situation in my family, they express the same point as well. In the chieftaincy position you are never comfortable. Every time you are always questioned about the position that you not be in the position. The solution to the killing of the chiefs is that relevant department must go and intervene in the families of Amakhosi,” adds Inkosi Phathisizwe Luthuli, a traditional leader of Umnini.
Others say government should create a special security cluster for traditional leaders. There’s also demand for more visible security in rural areas and around traditional courts.
“There was a launch of traditional policing in Nyokeni that gives us hope that something is going to happen but it seems it takes too long. We want the Department of CoGTA to ensure that there is a security cluster for Amakhosi as the department of CoGTA because Amakhosi fall under that department. If you go to municipalities where councillors belong if there are treats immediately there are safety measures but if you come to traditional leaders there is no such,” says Inkosi Chiliza.
27 traditional leaders killed in KZN over past three years:
“The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is quite concerned about the advent of killings that is happening across the institution of traditional leaders. The killings, which has become a huge problem, the department and the MEC is engaging the different law enforcement agencies to try and deal with this issue and curb this issue,” says CoGTA’s Nonala Ndlovu.
At least 27 traditional leaders have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal in the past three years. So far no arrests have been made in the recent cases.
