KwaMaphumulo inkosi wants Ramaphosa to address traditional leader killings

By Celani Sikhakhane

• Inkosi Nkosikhona Zulu wants President Ramaphosa to address traditional leader killings in the State of the Nation Address happening on Thursday night.

• He raised the issue during a community consultation on Thursday in KwaMaphumulo and said prosecutions can take over five years.

Traditional leaders from KwaMaphumulo want President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the killings of traditional leaders in his State of the Nation Address.

Inkosi Nkosikhona Zulu of kwaNodunga Traditional Council raised the issue on Thursday during a community consultation meeting organised by the KZN Government Communications and Information Services in KwaMaphumulo.

Zulu told people at the meeting that traditional leadership has suffered from killings without successful arrests or prosecutions.

“We wish our President tonight could speak about plans on how the challenges facing traditional leadership should be addressed. Even our communities are facing a lot of problems that we wish the President should address on how the government is willing to solve them,” said Zulu.

He said the killing of traditional leaders is the biggest challenge and believes it is not taken seriously.

Zulu said prosecutions and arrests can take over five years.

“This needs to be addressed and we really hope tonight our President will talk about it,” he said.

Young people from KwaMaphumulo said they are worried the President has been saying the same thing about youth funding and opportunities for young people but nothing has happened to them.

They said they hope he will come up with practical plans that will not be just talk. They want real action, especially for unemployed graduates.

KwaMaphumulo is among the KZN rural areas with high unemployment rates. The area is known for taxi violence that has resulted in killings of taxi owners, drivers and innocent people.

The State of the Nation Address is taking place on Thursday in Cape Town.

Pictured above: Inkosi Nkosikhona Zulu of kwaNodunga Traditional Council.

Image source: GCIS