Honourable Members,
While significant progress has been made since 1994 in affirming the role of traditional and Khoi-San leaders in our democratic system, more work remains to ensure that they are full partners in development and governance.
Through the District Development Model, traditional and Khoi-San leaders are recognised as core governance partners.
The recognition of the role played by traditional and Khoi-San leaders in the District Development Model represents a step towards more inclusive and effective governance in South Africa, fostering partnerships that enhance community engagement and development outcomes.
In addition, a comprehensive legal framework exists to give effect to the participation of traditional leaders in municipal governance.
The Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act makes provision for traditional councils to support municipalities in identifying community needs. Under the Act, local Houses of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders may participate in municipal programmes, strengthening accountability at the local level.
The Municipal Systems Act requires municipalities to consult traditional leaders in the development of Integrated Development Plans.
The Municipal Structures Act provides for recognised senior traditional and KhoiSan leaders to participate in municipal councils as ex-officio advisory members.
This includes the authority to participate in council meetings, address the council on matters affecting Traditional or Khoi-San communities, and participate in policy, by law and service delivery discussions.
While the framework is robust, implementation across municipalities remains uneven.
To address this, the Medium Term Development Plan now includes a specific indicator for the participation of Traditional and Khoi-San leadership in planning, implementing and monitoring government programmes.
The Departments of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs have commenced capacitybuilding workshops in district and metropolitan municipalities to strengthen compliance with the provisions of the relevant legislation.
These interventions are improving institutional functionality and reinforcing the integration of traditional leadership into local governance and service delivery processes.
The review of the White Paper on Local Government that is currently underway proposes a more structured cooperation between municipalities and traditional and Khoi-San leadership institutions to enable community engagement and shared problem-solving.
The Government remains firmly committed to ensuring that the institution of Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership is fully recognised, empowered and integrated into our governance system.
Their wisdom, legitimacy and proximity to communities are indispensable to building a capable state and improving service delivery for our people.
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