Opinion| Political parties in SA turning traditional leaders into stooges
THE formation of Contralesa, an organization of traditional leaders by the ANC, was not an innocent project to enhance the traditional leadership. It was ostensibly a tactic to amass political power in the villages through their traditional leaders.
This strategy introduced some level of competition amongst traditional leaders. The traditional leaders closest to the ANC leaders would be getting better government benefits than those who are opposed to political meddling.
Because of the political dismantling of the traditional leadership institutions, we saw traditional leaders aligning themselves within various political parties. Thus open political affiliation only brought the disintegration of traditional communities and the subsequent loss of authority by the traditional leadership.
We have two cases of political affiliation by traditional leaders, namely Kgoši Letsiri Phahla in Limpopo and King Buyelikhaya Dalindyebo.
Kgoši Letsiri Phahla had a “political” fallout with Contralesa and quickly joined ActionSA, a political party. He was then elevated to be a Premier candidate for ActionSA. Before we knew it, he left ActionSA to join Jacob Zuma’s outfit, the Umkhonto we Sizwe Party.
King Buyelikhaya Dalindyebo is a known serial political nomad. He was a member of the ANC, then the DA, the EFF and now back to the ANC. The EFF went even a step further than others, and invested in a Mercedes SUV for the King, hoping for an ever-lasting relationship! ( Till death do us part) Death never arrived and they have seemingly parted! The king, ubuyeli’khaya!
Azapo too tried the same trick as other political parties with King Buyelikhaya Dalindyebo, but did not go too far. I suppose Azapo didn’t know by then that the traditional leadership has gone commercial and could not afford the bidding. The traditonal leadership is on auction and will always go to the highest bidder.
Political parties in their quest for political favour and power, have turned to traditional leaders who have otherwise been apolitical and turned them into their stooges in order to attract that illusive rural vote. In doing so, they actually pit the traditional leaders against their own communities some of whom might not even share the same political beliefs as those which are newly acquired by their traditional leaders.
Traditional leaders who still believe in their traditional institution, should actually remain neutral and apolitical if the unity of their communities mean anything to them. In that way communities are very comfortable approaching them with their individual or collective issues. Most importantly, political parties must refrain from recruiting traditional leaders because those communities will remain united and have the freedom of movement and choice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with recruiting people as individuals under the traditional leadership.
(Pule Monama is a former Azapo leader and now a businessman)
