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Residents of Mahikeng and surrounding areas requested Parliament to give them more time to study the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill in order to make meaningful contributions on the draft legislation.

They told the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs that the time allocated for the public hearings on the Bill was not adequate, as some citizens only had less than a day to go through the Bill and were then expected to make comments.

“The time is not enough for the community to engage on the Bill, some of us only saw it for the first time today. Can you please allow us more time to go through it and come back for the public consultation,” Dipuo Matlhonoko said.

Another member of the community who claimed to have seen the Bill for the first time on the day of the public hearing, Mr Goitseone Motseoakhumo, said he needed two weeks to study it before he can make an input.

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Other members of the community advised 

Parliament to host more public 

educationsessions on the bill especially in 

rural areas  under traditional leadership and 

Khoi-San 

communities which, they argued, were mainly 

affected by the draft legislation.

Kgosi Gobusamang Shole from the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders asked the Committee to have the Bill translated into local languages, documents must be available is Setswana and for the Bill to be renamed “Traditional Affairs Bill”.

“The documents must also be available is Setswana. It is always good to read for yourself than to rely on interpretation and I also think the legislation should be renamed Traditional Affairs Bill because the current title makes the Khoi-San special than other tribes,” he told the Committee at the packed Mafikeng Civic Centre on Tuesday.

He also advised the Committee to consult further with houses of traditional leaders at local and provincial levels.

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Goitsemodimo Gaborone said the Bill will give 

more powers to the chiefs and was not in the 

interest of the community.

“Rural communities under traditional leadership are excluded from benefiting from natural resources, yet they are the owners of the land.

“Chiefs are still oppressing the people in rural communities, it is not true that communities do not respect traditional leaders – people feel undermined. Makgosi do not own the land, we all have equal rights to the land and the natural resources,” he said.

Committee Chairperson Mr Richard Mdakane said the Committee will return to the North West Province to meet with traditional leaders on issues raised by the public that were not related to the Bill.

“We are not here because we are scared to go to the Constitutional Court, but because the Constitution enjoins us to consult the public and we are here also to learn because we do not know everything, we value the views of our people,” he said.

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BY BAKANG MOKOTO

RUSTENBURG Local Municipality could be under new leadership in no time if what Forum 4 Service Delivery’s utterance is anything to go by. 

F4SD national spokesperaon, Elias Mogoru said they will robustly meet with the African Independent  Congress (AIC) for a high level discussion regarding the future of the Rustenburg Local Municipality.

“F4SD is of a view that the AIC is gradually seeing the light and will in due course release Rustenburg Municipality into the hands of community so as to take control the affairs of their platinum municipality,” Mogoru said.

No political party has won with the outright majority during Local Government elections back in 2016. 

He further said the coalition between the AIC and ANC was not based on what the people of Rustenburg were looking for from the AIC. 

“It is our strong conviction as F4SD that people of Rustenburg who voted against those who cannot deliver on their promises since 1994, wanted a corrupt-free and clean-run municipality. They also did that to strengthen our maturing democracy,”he said. 

Mogoru added that the wishes of the people of Rustenburg must be honored. According to Mogoru, AIC has agreed to meet with them to discuss the matter. 

“F4SD is confident that after this meeting, our counterparts in the Ekurhuleni will follow suit and AIC will listen to the voices of the masses on the ground,” he said. 

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BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

A MAN has been arrested in connection with murder of a police officer in Kimberly. Mzwandile Majosi, 28 appeared in Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

The Hawks provincial spokesperson, Capt Philani Nkwalase said the body of Constable Lentswe Edward Mogorosi was discovered in the veld near Lerato Park on January 8 at around 05:45am.

“The police officer had sustained multiple stab wounds on his face and body. Some of the deceased’s personal items were allegedly recovered during Majosi’s arrest.

“The investigations revealed that Majosi was convicted of robbery in 2008, theft conviction in 2010 and has a pending case of possession of drugs in Kimberley. Majosi decided to abandon his bail application soon after Hawks’ Investigating officer presented evidence against his bail application,” Nkwalase said.

Northern Cape Hawks Provincial Head, Major General Kholekile Galawe welcomed the court outcome and applauded the investigating team for their commitment in ensuring that cop killers remain behind bars.

The case was postponed to March 23 for further investigation.

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