By Moyahabo Mabeba
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) says it is perturbed by the escalating number of bogus traditional leaders who are allegedly colluding with corrupt officials in the provincial departments of Cooperative Governance, Housing and Traditional Affairs (Coghsta)
According to Contralesa president, Chief Mathibela Lameck Mokoena, these scammers masquerading as traditional leaders are all over the country and are getting benefits from government, illegal land sale and claiming royalties from mining companies.
Mokoena said their organisation is inundated with cases of fraudsters who are abusing their powers in rural communities despite being not recognised by the royal houses and traditional councils in their respective villages.
“In terms of the Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act 3 of 2019, anyone who calls himself or herself a traditional leader knowing very well that he or she is not, is committing a crime.
Any person, regardless of their position or standing in their communities, if found selling chieftaincy certificates, must be reported to the relevant authorities and be arrested because that’s a criminal act,” he said.
“Contralesa is concerned that corrupt Coghsta officials have created a platform where criminals have their way into traditional leadership and this has brought many royal house into disrepute. As Contralesa, we suggested that there should be a database with names of all our traditional leaders and that list be published and be placed in all our departments and also in all our municipalities. We call upon our people to stop calling themselves traditional leaders knowing very well that they are not,” Mokoena said.
Mokoena said in Mpumalanga, they have a bogus chief who is operating with impunity, claiming he was installed by the late Bapedi King, Kgaudi Kenneth Sekhukhune yet there is no documented evidence of such recognition.
Mokoena said the scourge of spurious traditional leaders cuts across tribal lines, saying almost every Ndebele in the Mahlangu clan claims to be a chief and some have operated bogus initiation schools, much to the detriment of initiates.
He recalled an incident in which Contralesa was forced open a criminal case against a con artist operating under false pretense as a traditional leaders in Marongoane in the Bushbuckridge local municipality in Mpumalanga after he was found to have issued a fake permit to operate an initiation school.
When Timeless News contacted the erstwhile leader of the Bahurutshe Ba Moiloa Royal Council near Zeerust in the North West, the pain expressed by Reuben Lekoloane was almost tangible.
Lekoloane said his chieftaincy was “hijacked” by someone who was not of their bloodline.
He lamented the prevalence of fake traditional leadership certificates, which he said are sold like fat cakes in many parts of the province.
According to Lekoloane, the sham traditional leaders in his area are solely benefiting them from the agricultural farms, and their leadership styles are causing ructions among community members in the Ngaka Modiri Molema districts.
“It hurts me so bad to see my chieftaincy being tainted by someone who has no interest in our history and legacy. What kills me spiritually is that people in the village know that this person who stole my chieftaincy is not of the royal blood, just that his mother was married to my late paternal uncle who was our former chief. He is doing as he pleases. I just hope that the government does something to stop this because this has become a lucrative business for fraudsters and corrupt Coghsta officials,” Lekoloane said.
Many traditional leadership disputes have been fought within royal houses, and after traditional councils could not reach consensus, they have been escalated to the highest courts in the land for judges to make rulings.
However, the processes end up being lengthy legal battles between blood relatives fighting for the soul of their chieftaincy or kingship.
Timeless New has sèen dubious certificates that belong to traditional leaders in Limpopo, which are fiercely disputed by their respective royal houses.
The Mphahlele Royal House and its council are vehemently disputing the chieftaincy of Thabo Malekutu Mphahlele, saying they have never recognised him as their legitimate leader as he is not of their royal bloodline.
The royal house is torn apart by internal ructions, with senior members of the royal council saying they were taken by surprise upon hearing that Malekutu is in possession of a chieftaincy certificate.
The certificate recognises him as a “Senior Traditional Leader of Bakgaga ba Mphahlele Traditional Community”.
The document looks convincingly valid as it bears the signature of former Limpopo Premier, Stan Mathabatha.
However, the royal council is disputing its legitimacy, insisting that they have never endorsed Malekutu as their traditional leader.
After the deep-seated disputes could not be settled internally, the royal council took the legal route to dispute his chieftaincy.
The matter is currently under sub judice in the Limpopo High Court sitting in Polokwane under Judge Marisa Naude-Odwndaal.
Spokesperson for the Bakgaga ba Ga-Mphahlele Royal House, Marothi Mphahlele said the sudden the ascension of Malekutu to the throne and the manner in which he acquired his certificate raises worrying suspicions.
Motlokwe said “There are people who connived with Malekutu to get this certificate and we as the Royal House are not happy at all. This guy was just a thug who just one day decided to come and hijack our chieftaincy. At no point did we sat down as the Mphahlele Royal House and took a collective decision to endorse him as our chief. Since his controversial chieftaincy, lots of scary things are happening at Ga-Mphahlele. We are being intimidated and people have being assassinated. Everyone in the Royal House is questioning how Malekutu got his certificate. We’ve got information that there was a woman at COGHSTA who was selling certificates. The information we have is that he she was selling the certificates at R60, 000. When she was exposed, she resigned. We suspected Malekutu got his certificate through those channels because funds have been disappearing from the Royal House bank account. He is not working yet he is living a lavish lifestyle.”
When contacted for comment over the alleged fake certificate, Malekutu said he could not respond immediately.
He said “Send me an e-mail and maybe I’ll respond within two weeks or I may not respond. I don’t report to you…”
Phauwe Mphahlele of Tshwaranang Magoshi Movement, who is also part of the royal council, said Malekutu was never recognised as their leader and he knows it.
Phauwe said there is rampant corruption at COGHSTA because there are many illegitimate traditional leaders in the country who ostensibly acquired their fraudulent certificates from corrupt officials.
“These corrupt activities are prevalent in many rural communities are ruled by fake leaders,” Phauwe said.
He said some members of the royal council were killed while fighting for the soul of the Mphahlele chieftaincy.
“Every time we have to go to court to fight against malfeasance in the royal house, people get killed. Our chieftaincy is tainted by corruption and political interference. Malekutu is supported by people who are more interested in the local mining company. These controlling politicians have no interest in our affairs,” he said.
Elsewhere in Sekhukhune, the royal house of Baroka ba Ntoane is rejecting the chieftaincy of Patronela Mmasegare Phasha, citing an investigative committee report that said her appointment was conducted during a meeting that was “fatally flawed.”
Phasha’s certificate has the electronic signature of former Limpopo premier, Stan Mathabatha.
The certificate is dated 04 June 2024 and Mathabatha was no longer premier, a clear indication that his signature continues to be abused by corrupt elements, suspiciously in government circles.
Coghsta spokesperson, Legadi Leso said his national department is not involved in issuing certificates of traditional leaders below the level of kingship and queenship.
“Any form of allegations of corruption with regards to issuing of certificates to traditional leaders below queenship and kingship should be reported to the affected provincial governments. It is important to note that the recognition of a traditional leader should be captured in a government Gazzete. As such a certificate alone is not enough for one to be a traditional leader,” Leso said.
