The government remains committed to strengthening relations with traditional leaders and a new government department of traditional leadership will start functioning from April 1, President Kgalema Motlanthe said on Friday.

Addressing the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL), he said the government had, over the years, developed sound working relations with the House.

It remained committed to strengthening these relations and to doing whatever was necessary to enable traditional leaders to play their role in society.

Last year, the government made certain undertakings to the NHTL to enable traditional leaders to discharge their duties and lead their communities more effectively.

"I am happy to inform the House that we have made progress in fulfilling those undertakings.

"Following Cabinet's approval of the establishment of the department of traditional leadership last year, work has been done to ensure that the department starts functioning from April 1, 2009," Motlanthe said.

Establishing the department would ensure that matters of traditional leadership were dealt with at the highest level of management within the government.

This would afford the Minister, the President and the government as a whole the most senior expert advice and effective mechanisms of implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

This would also ensure that the government paid immediate attention to any issues that might arise relating to the effective and efficient functioning of the institution of traditional leadership, he said.

Among other things, the project to develop a framework for the allocation of roles and functions to traditional leadership as required by the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act had commenced with the involvement of all relevant government departments and provinces.

The project on skills development and capacity building of the institution of traditional leadership had been finalised and would be rolled out during the next financial year.

This would provide the necessary skills and capacity required to enhance the role that traditional leaders ought to play in improving the lives of all South Africans, especially in rural areas.

In the next financial year, the government would introduce a comprehensive rural development programme.

Involvement of traditional leaders both in the conceptualisation and implementation of this programme would be critical for success.

"Your knowledge of conditions in our rural area will help us find more appropriate responses to the challenge of rural development," Motlanthe said.