- A newly formed organisation for traditional leaders launched in Umhlanga on Wednesday, led by young chiefs from across the country.
- Unlike Contralesa, which is affiliated with a political party, the new body bars politically aligned traditional leaders from taking up leadership positions.
Traditional leaders across South Africa have vowed they will no longer allow mining companies to operate on their land without a clear policy on how their communities will benefit.
This emerged at the launch of a new organisation for traditional leaders on Wednesday in Umhlanga, north of Durban, led by a group of young traditional leaders.
Inkosi Thanduyise Mzimela, secretary of the newly formed South Africa’s Traditional Organisation (SATLO) and former chairperson of the Ingonyama Trust Board, told Scrolla.Africa after the meeting that the organisation aims to tackle economic development in areas under traditional leadership.
“This is our first organisation that will allow traditional leaders, regardless of their political affiliation, to work together for the prosperity of their communities. As we speak, traditional leaders have no say on the companies operating on their land, because everything is in the full control of government. That is why investment on our land will be our first priority, so that we have full control of every business taking place on land under our control, for the sake of community development,” Mzimela said.
He said the organisation also wants land currently held in trusts returned to traditional leaders and their communities, arguing that land dispossessed from traditional leaders under colonialism and apartheid has instead been redirected into trust structures as part of land reform.
Unlike Contralesa, the long-standing Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa, which is affiliated with a political party, SATLO has taken a deliberate stance against political alignment. Membership is open to traditional leaders such as chiefs, headmen and headwomen, regiment leaders, and women who perform virginity testing, known as onomehlo. However, any traditional leader who is aligned to a political party, or who leads a political organisation, will not be allowed to take up a leadership role in SATLO, though they may join as ordinary members.
Mzimela said SATLO is not confined to KwaZulu-Natal, and aims to champion the interests of traditional leaders and their communities nationally.
Pictured above: The leadership of the newly formed South Africa’s Traditional Organisation, announced at a meeting held in Umhlanga, north of Durban.
Image source: SATLO
