Modulasetulo, Tona ya lefapha, Rre Shiceka, le maloko a Ntlo e, rona re le ba Kapa Bokone re batlile re tingwa puo. Ga ke itse gore bothata e ne e le eng gore leina la rona le be le seyo mo lenaneong. Fela ke leboga Modualasetulo gore a bo a mpiditse gore le rona re tle go ntsha maikutlo a rona a Kapa Bokone. (Translation of Setswana paragraph follows.)
[Mr G G MOKGORO: Chairperson, Minister of the department, Mr Shiceka, and members of this House, the Northern Cape almost lost the opportunity to speak. I don't know what the problem was that led to our name not being included in the programme. However, I thank the Chairperson for giving me an opportunity to voice our opinion as the Northern Cape.]
We feel that the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, under the leadership of Minister Shiceka, has proposed amendments to the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2003, in June 2009. The result was the coming into existence of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Bill, which is currently undergoing rigorous parliamentary processes.
The Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs department seeks to improve traditional leadership by designing a workable framework that will improve good governance within the traditional institutions and traditional communities.
The department further contemplates addressing leadership claims and disputes by reconfiguring the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims into a user-friendly and functional entity. Moreover, the department wishes to assign roles and responsibilities to the institution of traditional leadership such as traditional councils, local councils, provincial and national houses of traditional leaders as part of co- operative governance.
It is also incumbent upon the department to introduce the fourth level of traditional leaders in order to reinstate the African indigenous traditional structures in addition to key senior traditional leaders and headmen and headwomen.
The department has introduced the following amendment: principal traditional leaders. This forms a fourth category of traditional leaders. The category comes after queenship, since it is the second highest, after a king. This category is reported to have existed within some traditional communities in Africa, prior to the advent of colonialism.
The Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims will now report to the Minister instead of the President. The commission will now operate both at national and provincial levels. At provincial level, the commission will deal with the traditional leadership disputes and claims before referring them to the national structure. The term of office of the commission will be five years.
The Northern Cape Provincial House of Traditional Leaders agrees fully with the amendment, although the issue of paramount leader does not affect it. However, it is envisaged that the status quo may change following the forthcoming recognition of traditional leaders from the Khoisan community in the near future. The Northern Cape endorses the amendment as proposed. Thank you.