Disputes over chieftaincies continue to be a serious challenge in Mpumalanga. Some members of the Ngomane Inner Royal Family, under the Siboshwa Tribal Authority in Nkomazi have accused the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department of interference. They say the department has imposed a certain family member to be their chief.
The Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) is accused of refusing to recognise the only surviving son of the late chief-Shushu Ngomane as the legitimate chief.
Chief Shushu Ngomane died in November 2016. Since then, there has been a dispute as to who should ascend the throne.
Speaking on behalf of the Siboshwa Tribal Authority, Flora Ngomane says there were attempts to also remove Shushu as the chief while he was alive, but the courts vindicated him.
“The deceased King Shushu left the child named Njabulo. Now there is a quarrel, in fact, it started in the past between Mxolisi and his brother, the late Shushu. Shushu won the court cases and we have court orders. Now that he is dead there is another dispute between his child and Mxolisi. The government is now recognising Mxolisi and we are now confused.
The provincial government has allegedly already issued Mxolisi Ngomane with a certificate recognising him as the rightful chief. Mxolisi says his late brother, Shushu, was not supposed to be installed as the chief because his mother left before getting married to their father. He says the matter was referred to the Nhlapo Commission a few years ago.
“The commission proved that Shushu was not supposed to be the King, he was wrongfully appointed. Even if he was still alive he was supposed to be removed.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has dismissed the allegation that it is imposing certain people to the tribal authorities. CoGTA spokesperson, George Mthethwa, says they are implementing recommendations that were made by commissions that were established to deal with chieftaincy disputes.
“Of course you’ll recall that we had the Nhlapo Commission and subsequent to the Nhlapo Commission it was the Tolo Commission. which basically was established to look into the matters that were brought to the fore and which related to the dispute of traditional leadership. Both commissions actually also developed the recommendation which actually charted the way forward and that’s exactly what we are doing to implement those recommendations.”
But Ngomane is still not convinced. “The commission failed to tell us that Shushu was not a rightful chief when he was alive. The commission and CoGTA department cannot elect Chiefs for us.”
Recently, members of the Nkosi Inner Royal Family shut down the Ebutsini Traditional Authority offices in Enhlaba – near Emanzana – called on the department to implement the Nhlapo Commission’s recommendations.
