TRADITIONAL leaders around South Africa will receive the same government salaries and benefits after talks between Constitutional Development Minister Valli Moosa, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, Land Affairs Minister Derek Hanekom and the Congress of Traditional Leaders (Contralesa). Moosa announced at the weekend that the government plans to bring uniformity to the salaries of kings and chiefs. Contralesa has been pushing the government to pay traditional leaders the same salary. The Steyn Commission on the remuneration of representatives recommended that traditional leaders be paid R72000 a year, and headmen R13000. It is estimated that this will double South Africa’s bill for 700 traditional leaders to R50-million.