Traditional Leadership

• King Kenneth Sekhukhune is one of South Africa’s six officially recognised kings

The constitution of South Africa is the sovereign law of the land, but traditional leadership is acknowledged within that framework. Traditional leadership is very common in Limpopo, and large parts of the province are under the control of traditional rulers and their councils. In 2008, a national Commission on Traditional Leadership Dispute and Claims ruled that King Kenneth Sekhukhune of the Pedi was entitled, like six other monarchs in South Africa, to call himself king. He has authority over large parts of the southern part of the province. Another royal line which enjoys a high profile is Queen Modjadji, the Rain Queen of the Lobedu, who presides over her subjects in the area north of Tzaneen.

At least half of the land in the Mopani District (adjacent to the Kruger National Park) is under the control of traditional leaders. In the northerly Vhembe District, mining companies or other developers are obliged to obtain certificates known as PTOs (Permission to Occupy) before they can proceed.

Under apartheid, several homelands were established in the area of what is now known as Limpopo. These were fractured entities which were conceived as little more than labour camps: the legacy of underdevelopment remains in the areas that were then known as Lebowa (two portions of land in the north-west supposedly catering to North Sotho and Pedi people), Venda in the northeast, Gazankulu (pockets of land in the east for Tsonga people) and KwaNdebele (south-west, Pedi and Ndebele).

Each of the province’s districts has its own house of traditional leadership but the provincial house strives to achieve unity in the new, democratic, dispensation. The Limpopo House of Traditional Leaders has been in place since 2006. Provincial legislation demands that at
least one third of the members of traditional councils shall be women.

Modern traditional leaders see themselves as fulfilling the dual role of acting as a custodian of culture, tradition and custom and as promoters of rural development. Legislation allows for the various levels of government to work cooperatively with traditional leaders. In 2008, the Limpopo provincial government recognised and had on its payroll 183 senior traditional leaders and 2 067 headmen. The budget of the provincial house (which resides in the Premier’s budget) was increased to R103.6-million, and a staff of 716 were employed to run the offices of the house. In the course of 2009/10, most of the traditional council offices in the province will receive computer upgrades. Twenty councils will receive 3G connectivity.

ONLINE RESOURCES
Limpopo Provincial House of Traditional Leaders: www.lphtl.gov.za
National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs:
www.thedplg.gov.za
National House of Traditional Leaders: www.nhtl.gov.za

 

















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