This follows damning reports by the Office of the Public Protector. In one of the reports, Acting Public Protector Adv. Kholeka Gcaleka indicates how a systemic breakdown between traditional leadership and local government in the Free State, North West, and the Northern Cape has led to poor service delivery at grassroots level. She says a lack of engagement between the Mangaung Metro Municipality and the Barolong Boo Seleka Traditional Council is a great cause of concern. 

Gcaleka says issues relating to land allocation and service delivery, amongst others, were sharply raised by communities during the Public Protector’s dialogue roadshows in 2017, leading to several investigations within the metro, the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality, and Phumelela Local Municipality.

Gcaleka in a report says these municipalities, together with the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Department, needs to work on their relations with the traditional leaders in efforts to address issues faced by communities.

Similar to issues raised in the North West and Northern Cape, the investigative report reveals that provincial departments, as opposed to their national counterparts, were the culprits when it comes to failure to promote partnerships between municipalities and Kingship or Queenship Councils in terms of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act.

The departments also failed to provide traditional leaders and councils with information on their funding, resourcing and remuneration.

Gcaleka in the report further indicates how there are no guidelines in relation to the role of traditional leaders in municipal councils in the Northern Cape as well as in the North West.

“There is an undue delay by the municipalities and the North West Provincial Government (NWPG) to resolve issues relating to spatial planning since 1996. Traditional leaders are not recognised within municipal structures, and there is a failure by the CPA to recognise traditional leaders”.

She in her list of remedies listed that the provincial Cogta departments must, amongst others, ensure that there are proper communication channels between the traditional leaders and municipalities.

OFM News/Katleho Morapela