NATIONAL HOUSE OF TRADITIONAL LEADERS, SELF-APPOINTED POLITICIANS OR SOCIETAL GUARDIANS
Just when one had reason to expect the end - or at least the curbing of - botched initiation school deaths this year, things have become worse and more brutal. Indeed, it seems that the more the years pass the more young innocent lives are lost with other young men losing their manhood due to unscrupulous entrepreneurial shortcut practices and cultural exploitation endeavours.
This June 2012 was no different as more and more young, under-aged boys aspiring to accomplish their traditional manhood requirements continued to have their manhood illegally butchered and their lives cut short. In the Eastern Cape alone, twenty initiates have died and four other have had penile amputations since mid-June.
Botshabelo Free State is just another recent example where four young boys were illegally initiated and subsequently died of pain resulting from dehydration, septicaemia and assault. In the past four years, the Eastern Cape alone has had 230 initiate deaths which were all attributed to malpractice and other human failures. As a young Sotho boy who embraces tradition and has not even gone through this important cultural journey of African pride, I always wonder, ‘am I next?'
All this boils down to a crucial question of whose responsibility it is to ensure that initiates understand and are conscious of their rights throughout this process; that relevant environmental and health officials are on hand to monitor what is going on; and that initiation school health acts aren't just wall charts used for aesthetics but are implemented strictly and are adhered to and complied with.
The Free State province, for instance, long ago passed the initiation schools health act 1 of 2004. Though it remains in place it has a negligible impact in some parts of the province, especially rural areas, in as far as recognition and its adherence is concerned; hence, the recent Botshabelo deaths as an example.
People are then asking themselves, what is the function and the impact of the House of Traditional Leaders from National level to the Provincial and respective Local bodies? Aren't these supposed to be the safekeeping agents and preservers of such valuable processes? Why are they enjoying exorbitant monthly allowances out of our (taxpayers) pockets while there is absolutely no difference whatsoever in the manner in which initiation schools are handled?
What is the task of the NHTL (National House of Traditional Leaders)?
It was following the CODESA talks that Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Act, 1993 (Act No.200 of 1993) provided for the enactment Of the Council of Traditional Leaders Act, 1994 (Act No. 31 of 1994); which was then repealed in 1997 and replaced by the National House of Traditional Leaders Act, 2000 (Act No. 20 of 2000).
This act was introduced to amongst others acknowledge and preserve our rich traditional hierarchy and all structures; to advance, recognise and represent even the most remote cultural structures in South Africa. The very same act stipulates objectives, functions and mandate of the NHTL (and its sub-structures).
According to their constitution, one of its mandatory tasks is to ‘To enhance unity and understanding amongst traditional communities, and To advise the National Government and make recommendations relating to any Matters relating to traditional Leadership; The role of traditional leaders; Customary law; and the customs of communities observing a system of Customary Law'.
The National House of Traditional leaders Act, 2009 also grants the NHTL powers and responsibility to ensure ‘the social well-being and welfare of communities; and The transformation and adaptation of customary law and custom so as to Comply with the provisions of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution'.
This therefore remains clear that it is not in the sole primary jurisdiction of the government to govern, legislate and act on how initiation schools are run. It therefore remains a core objective of the NHTL (and its sub-structures) to ensure that the dignity and the value of these schools is maintained and if it has diminished (as I see it) that it is reclaimed. It remains the function of the house to ensure that not only initiation school acts are correctly translated into even the most rural and remote of areas but to also ensure that basic human rights are well known understood and interpreted into these communities.
Deviation from Core Function
No long ago during 133rd commemoration of the Battle of Isandlwana in 2012 , the reigning Zulu king and the chairperson of the Kwazulu Natal NHTL Zululand-exco, King Goodwill Zwelithini contravened one of the NHTL's functions and trampled on Homosexuals human rights when he publicly condemned homosexuality and labelled it as ‘rotten'. No one, not members of the house, not the minister of CoGTA and not even the president of the republic called him to order.
King Zwelithini seemed to have forgotten in totality that it the very same homosexuals (as taxpayers) who pay his annual salary of around R900, 000.00. He seemed to also forget that he is a Zulu King in 2012, where no individual views and cultural affiliation supersedes the constitution of the republic of South Africa.
Most of our traditional leaders seem to be following the same trend of bashing with no remorse, what they feel is of their dislike, forgetting of the paramount seats they occupy in the country, forgetting of the societal responsibility that is vested upon their arrogant selves. Its time and high time that our traditional leaders take responsibility to re-focus and redirect their vibrant energies from pompous acts and their ivory towers to what is of benefit to the well being of our people and progress of this country.
A week after King Zwelithini's comments, a Braamfontein gay was brutally murdered in his flat because of his sexual orientation and everyone turned a blind eye on this. The very same king turned a blind eye on what could be related to his uttering.
WHAT IS EXPECTED?
The mandate of the structures of the House of traditional leaders is clear, it is not to occupy and exploit public platforms for populist purposes, it is not to replace the duties of the minister (CoGTA) but to mend cultural values and practises into a modern democratic society which will ensure that there are no contradictions between traditional norms and the 21st metropolitan society norms and values. It is not to label, expose and bash those elements of the modern society but to extend an olive- branch of acknowledgement to them. We cannot pay million of rands year-in-year out to NHTL just so we have them cruising around. Their tasks are clear and the results should be reaped. We should see an end of illegal initiation schools, we should see an end to initiation school deaths due illegal practices an d we should see NHTL occupying the forefront position in educating even the most rural areas about cultural diversity, orientation and religious difference etc
Biko Monyatsi is Young Communist League Albert Nzula District Secretary and Zastron ANCYL Ward 3 Chairperson
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