AfriForum demands KZN Premier to urgently correct illegal actions
This media statement is also available in Zulu.
AfriForum on 5 March demanded through a lawyer’s letter to Thami Ntuli, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, and Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the MEC for the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in the province, that the stipends of Ndunankulu (senior headman) M.T. Mpungose and Induna (headman) M.S. Mahaye that were withheld, be paid to them and that answers be provided as to why the traditional leaders were not paid. The izinduna did not receive any prior notice that they would not be paid or that they had been suspended or dismissed. Ndunankulu Mpungose is 62 years old and has served as a traditional leader for 24 years, while Induna Mahaye is 70 years old and has served as a traditional leader for 36 years. Both traditional leaders serve the Mpungose Traditional Community near Nkandla.
This further unjust and illegal action by the Department follows letters sent by AfriForum to the office of the Premier and the Department in February – which remained unanswered, despite the letters highlighting that Ndunankulu Mpungose was threatened with a firearm and that legal provisions were not being complied with.
“It is simply inhumane and unacceptable that two dignified and wise community leaders, who have served their communities and their inkosi (senior traditional leader) with such dedication over so many years, are being treated in this way. It seems as if the provincial officials have lost all humanity and do not care about the violation of the human dignity of even respected elders. It is further clear that the seriousness of the circumstances and the potential severe negative impact at grassroots level are not understood,” says Barend Uys, Head of Intercultural Relations and Cooperation at AfriForum.
According to Uys, the political will is completely lacking to ensure that legal provisions are complied with and that undue political interference probably plays a role in the unlawful action against the leaders. “The case of these two leaders is just one example of many. If the matter goes wrong, there will be blood on the hands of the officials,” concludes Uys.
AfriForum has had a good relationship with the Mpungose Traditional Community and specifically the community of Nkungumathe since 2017. This relationship was established through AfriForum’s assistance to the community in obtaining a court order to secure the construction of the Kuba Secondary School in the community.
