Durban - Amakhosi should not allow convicted rapists or murderers of women to continue living in their traditional villages, and they should expel them, said KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders chairperson Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza.
Chilizi held a press briefing in Durban on Wednesday where he announced resolutions taken by provincial traditional leaders during their ordinary session held between Monday and Tuesday.
Among issues the traditional leaders discussed were the recent spate of attacks on foreign nationals and the burning issue of land expropriation.
Chiliza also announced that King Goodwill Zwelithini’s son Prince Nhlanganiso Zulu would lead programmes that would encourage young men to respect women.
He said amakhosi felt that gender-based violence was harming the country’s reputation and that of their villages and was a “sign of something broken within the fabric of our society”.
“We support calls for those found guilty of these acts to be named and shamed and not be allowed to reside in traditional communities,” he said.
Chiliza said amakhosi had also resolved to solve crimes against women and children,and that the country’s law-enforcement agencies should work with traditional leaders.
“We will also pursue engagements with the police leadership so that the cluster commanders and station commanders can have regular and joint initiatives with traditional communities in combating gender-based violence.
“We regard this violence meted to our women, children and vulnerable groups as a declaration of war and we have to provide concomitant responses to it wherever it occurs,” said Chiliza.
He said amakhosi had requested the government to start programmes that would help to identify early warning signs of the scourge. He said the justice system should act harsher against convicted perpetrators by not providing them with parole.
He said Prince Nhlanganiso Zulu, who is known for spearheading the campaign for male circumcision in the province with the aim of fighting the spread of HIV/Aids, would lead a men’s forum, which would monitor young men with the intention of inculcating a culture of respecting women and children.
“All amakhosi committed themselves to conducting an audit on any part of the culture or tradition that may exist within traditional communities and which discriminates against women so that it can be brought to the house (KwaZulu-Natal House of Traditional Leaders) for review,” he said.