Deputy President Paul Mashatile told traditional and Khoi-San leaders that the government is encouraging Amakhosi and Izinduna to collaborate and identify obstacles such as the killing of traditional leaders, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mashatile held a dialogue with traditional leaders in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Safety was a key topic, with the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders reporting that in the last few years 48 traditional leaders had been killed, mainly in KZN.
Mashatile, who chairs the inter-ministerial task team on matters of traditional leaders, condemned the killings.
“As government, we strongly condemn these acts of violence and urge the community to serve as the government’s eyes and ears by reporting those who conspire or have committed such crimes to the appropriate authorities.
“Our law enforcement agencies are also working hard to hold those responsible to account,” Mashatile said.
He also acknowledged the need for consistency, especially in policies that are aimed at tackling the concerns of traditional leaders.
“In the absence of policy there is no uniformity. You will find that in one province people buy cars for traditional leaders and in another province they do not do this. So even the tools of trade are not provided in an equitable manner,” Mashatile said.
He said obstacles had been encountered, “significant progress has been made towards transforming the institution of traditional leadership and treating it with the respect it deserves”.
“As previously stated by President Cyril Ramaphosa, our kings are now regarded as kings rather than paramount chiefs, a name coined by the colonial and apartheid administrations to emphasise that, in their minds, the only true kings were found in Europe.
“Furthermore, the establishment of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders serves as evidence of the government's dedication to recognising and valuing the viewpoints and contributions of our traditional leaders,” Mashatile said.
“The legal recognition of traditional courts, their inclusion in local governance, and the protection of indigenous knowledge systems demonstrate government’s respect for traditional authority and a growing understanding of their distinctive role in society.”
The Mercury