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The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, has convened an urgent meeting with the departments of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Community Safety and Liaison to discuss concerns around the safety of amakhosi following the recent murder of Inkosi Sphamandla and UNdlunkulu MaDlamini of Amantungwa Traditional Council in Emadlangeni (Utrecht).

The Premier announced at a special Executive Council sitting last night (30 October) that the urgent meeting has been scheduled for this week, to get a full update on the implementation of the safety plans for Amakhosi and political leaders.

“Our urgent meeting with these two departments at the coalface of safety and traditional leadership aims to come up with swift solutions, not only to beef up the protection of amakhosi, but working together with various stakeholders, to forestall these attacks and create an environment free of fear for our traditional leaders” said the Premier

Inkosi Khumalo and uNdlunkulu MaDlamini died at the hands of armed assailants who opened fire on their vehicle mortally wounding the duo on Saturday.

“Fatal attacks on amakhosi are of grave concern for our government. These murders are a direct attack on both the traditional leadership structure and the community at large. We, therefore, are convening an urgent meeting with the lead departments to deal specifically with these reprehensible attacks on amakhosi, izinduna and other layers of traditional leadership structures,” the Premier said.

Premier Dube-Ncube and MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi visited the family of Inkosi Khumalo on Sunday to express condolences and offer support to the family, Amantungwa Traditional Council and the broader Amantungwa Traditional Community.

“While we commend the members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the successes they have scored in tracking down and arresting perpetrators of these heinous crimes in the past, the fact of the matter is that these arrests happen after the fact, when the life of a traditional leader is already lost,” continued the Premier.

“We must state that we are pleased with the interventions made by the Departments of Community Safety and Liaison as well as the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in ensuring the safety of our traditional leaders. However, we want to counsel all of us to resist the temptation for cheap political point-scoring out of respect for the grieving families and communities, and to allow the government in general and the SAPS in particular, to continue their efforts to curb this scourge without hindrance,” concluded the Premier.

Issued by KwaZulu-Natal Government