Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi. | Supplied
Durban — Cultural expert, Professor Sihawu Ngubane has warned the KwaZulu-Natal government that giving amakhosi (traditional leaders) public funds to manage their traditional councils could spell cultural conflicts.
Ngubane, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, was reacting to the recent announcement by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi that amakhosi will be allocated budgets similarly to municipalities.
Ngubane said that as much as it was an empowerment for amakhosi, on the other hand, the move clashed with the long-standing authority of amakhosi as having the final word since they would have to be called to appear before politicians in the legislature to account for funds allocated to them.
He said it would be embarrassing for an inkosi to be grilled by politicians in the legislature because that would mean the inkosi would have to answer to commoners. He said that by virtue of being amakhosi, they are also chairpersons of their traditional councils which would make them accounting officers once allocated budgets.
“This is a very complicated matter which the government must tread carefully on. At face value, it might look like genuine empowerment, but in the end, public funds are governed by the Public Finance Management Act. This will mean that the amakhosi will have to be held accountable by politicians. Many amakhosi are not trained in financial management. This means that if there are funds unaccounted for, the inkosi may face criminal charges,” he said.
Another concern was that if amakhosi were to hire chief financial officers to be accounting officers, this would be costly and reduce the inkosi's budget.
On the issue of making amakhosi executive committee (Exco) members of the municipalities, Ngubane said this was possible because parliament or legislature can amend the Municipal Structures Act to make provisions for such.
Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the government needed to define the role and contribution of traditional leaders in a constitutional democracy and how they could be held accountable, adding that In a constitutional democracy, there needed to be a mechanism to hold all leaders accountable.
“The constitution is not clear on the powers and duties of traditional leaders. The question that must be answered is why people are migrating from rural areas under the jurisdiction of traditional leaders to urban areas,” said Ndlovu.
University of Zululand analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said difficulties arose when Africans preferred Western constitutional democracy at the expense of the African traditional system after dismantling Apartheid and colonisation.
“In negotiating itself to power, the ANC was willing to put the issue of Amakhosi on the back burner. It preferred the governing framework of the erstwhile colonisers. The IFP has so far been the only party to advance the interests of amakhosi and Africans who live and recognise amakhosi leadership. The reluctance by the so-called Government of National Unity parties to recognise amakhosi poses a threat to the GNU,” said Seepe
Currently, the KZN government allocates about R60 million to the royal family but still controls its spending.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News