DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has called for communities to give up the hitmen hiding in their midst.
He was speaking during a prayer meeting held in Durban on Monday to call for an end to the violence plaguing traditional leadership in the province.
Zikalala joined the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial House of Traditional Leaders at the meeting, held at Mayville, Public Works Conference Centre.
The meeting focused on the challenges currently facing communities and the institution of traditional leadership within the province.
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government said according to law enforcement authorities, 28 izinduna and five amakhosi have been killed in the province since 2012, with 25 arrests made in connection with the murders.
In his address, Zikalala said: “Traditional leadership is an important institution which is a repository of history and heritage. As the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal, we take the safety and security of amakhosi and izinduna seriously, and any threat to their safety poses a threat to the stability of our province.
“We need to collectively develop a coordinated approach that will ensure maximum impact in the prevention and combating of the murders involving amakhosi and izinduna in order to achieve peace and harmony in our province. The killings of izinduna and amakhosi have adverse effects on the communities because these assassinations spill over into the communities, disrupting the peace and harmony. When these killings continue unabated, they sometimes lead to faction fighting,” said Zikalala.
Zikalala said the provincial government calls on the men and women of all faiths to pray for peace in the province.
“Let us pray for unity among traditional leaders and the communities they serve in an attempt to curb the killings. We also pray for members of the community to have the courage to report those hired hitmen who live in their midst so that we stop the murders of traditional leaders.
“We urge the law enforcers to also bring to book those who are responsible for commissioning these killings of traditional leaders,” Zikalala.
The KZN provincial government said Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka held numerous meetings with traditional leaders regarding the violence.
Zikalala also acknowledged the work done by the MEC of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni and the police to quell the violence directed against traditional leaders.
Chairperson of the KZN Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi P.D.H Chiliza, called for amakhosi to continue working for their communities.
THE MERCURY