TRADITIONAL leaders called for land restitution claims to be considered from 1652 instead of 1913 at the conference of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa in Midrand last weekend.
Contralesa president Chief Phathekile Holomisa also expressed concern over the only-partial political freedom guaranteed traditional leaders in the interim constitution. “It denies chiefs their historical and hereditary right and obligation to participate fully in the decision-making processes of the land. We are told to be mere advisers on a very limited range of issues.”
The meeting was held on the eve of the establishment of advisory bodies — the provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders and a National Council of Traditional Leaders.
Delegates expressed their concern that Houses had not been established in some regions, and that traditional leaders had not been consulted when the number of National Council of Traditional Leaders had been decided.
Holomisa was re-elected Contralesa president for a second term.