DURBAN - OPPOSITION parties have called for the formation of a commission of inquiry into the murders of traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal following the killing of Inkosi Mandlakayise Nxumalo last week.
Nxumalo was shot in the Nazareth area of the Alfred Duma Local Municipality in Ladysmith, north of KZN. IFP KZN provincial spokesperson for Community Safety and Liaison Blessed Gwala said calls for a commission of inquiry was long overdue. “The IFP has long been calling on the government to stand up and protect amakhosi by establishing such a commission. Sadly, our calls have fallen on deaf ears.”
Gwala said there were multiple cases involving the murder of amakhosi which have been waiting for years to be resolved. “Prosecutors sometimes are seen to be afraid of pursuing such cases, as they fear for their lives, which results in these cases being left unresolved, and perpetrators not being held accountable.”
Gwala said the new Community Safety Intervention Unit (CSIU) – established by the KZN government – should be afforded the resources and manpower to crack down on the criminals taking the lives of amakhosi. “Further, the murder of amakhosi is proof of the government’s dismal failure to eradicate crime.”
DA spokesperson for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Martin Meyer, said that the party calls for swift action by the CSIU to deal with the upsurge in killings of amakhosi and izinduna in the province.
“The DA is both saddened and alarmed by this incident. We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Inkosi Nxumalo, the local community and the traditional leadership community as a whole.”
Meyer said that since 2012, a total of 42 murder cases relating to amakhosi and izinduna had been opened in KZN. “The aim of the new unit is to devise strategic plans and work in conjunction with law-enforcement agencies to deal with specific challenges related to the security of traditional leaders and other safety challenges. If it is to have any success in eradicating such crimes, it must be fully capacitated, both in terms of staffing and resources. This is the only way to ensure the safety of KZN’s traditional leaders, while sending a clear message to criminals.”
Canaan Mdletshe, NFP secretary-general, said following the killing of yet another traditional leader, the NFP was calling for the establishment of a commission of inquiry. “According to the information, nearly 30 traditional leaders, including izinduna and aides, have been killed in KZN alone. Due to the seriousness of the situation, we believe we have reached a point where a commission of inquiry must be instituted to look into these murders.”
“We feel like there’s a well-organised and co-ordinated syndicate that has been established to eliminate amakhosi in KZN and we want to know why.”
Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza, chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, said they had called for a commission of inquiry long ago. “We believe that once a commission of inquiry is established we can get to the root cause of the killing of traditional leaders and also find the perpetrators of these murders.”
Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka paid tribute to Inkosi Nxumalo. “He spearheaded the construction of early childhood facilities, agricultural and livestock programmes aimed at providing sustenance to his community. Our interactions with Inkosi Nxumalo have always been pleasant and all spheres of government always felt welcome when engaging with Inkosi on government services they planned to roll out. Our province has lost a leader who had a vital role within the institution of traditional leadership.”
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