Traditional leaders sidelined - Buthelezi

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File photo

Published Feb 11, 2013

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Johannesburg - Traditional leadership is under threat in the ANC-led government, Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Sunday.

“Traditional leadership is under serious threat from the ANC. They want us to attend municipal councils as ceremonial figures, devoid of any authority,” Buthelezi told a rally in Sahlumbe, in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

“They refuse to give any budget to the National House of Traditional Leaders, to the provincial houses, the district houses or even traditional councils in the areas of amakhosi.”

Buthelezi said the ruling party never fulfilled its commitment to amend sections 7 and 17 of the Constitutions to protect the powers and functions of traditional leaders “which were obliterated through legislation”.

He said when President Jacob Zuma was deputy president of the country, he led a committee of ministers and legal experts who agreed with traditional leaders that the institution of traditional leadership was under threat and needed to be protected.

“But it is President Zuma himself who now shrugs off the fact that they reneged on that commitment.”

Meanwhile, the SABC reported that police had to intervene, to prevent a clash between IFP and National Freedom Party (NFP) members at the rally.

Hundreds of IFP supporters had converged at a local stadium for their party's rally when they came across a group of NFP members nearby, SABC said.

IFP supporters believed the gathering was an act of provocation.

Police had to intervene. - Sapa

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