The Bill before us repeals legislation that had its origins in the desire of the apartheid state to abuse traditional leadership to advance its strategy of divide and rule. The Act was used to unilaterally appoint traditional leaders in areas that never fell under traditional leadership, and it was naturally the intention that those appointees would control and manipulate people according to the wishes of the then government. That legal framework was also used to strip legitimate traditional leaders of their positions. The net result was to create divisions and social disruptions that continue to be felt to this day.
Although the new legal framework does not always coherently address the realities of traditional leadership, we are more than happy to bid farewell to the old Black Authorities Act. Good riddance to this Act. The UDM supports the Bill.