This press release is produced by the ANC stalwarts and veterans (the stalwarts), who are signatories to the document, “For the Sake of our Future”.

We stand for the traditional values of the ANC.

The Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB) will be discussed by the NCOP on Tuesday 13th November, there is therefore, some urgency in ensuring critical  awareness of aspects of this Bill.  

We welcome the recognition given to the Khoi-San people and their leaders in the traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB) currently before parliament. The bill goes some way towards restoring the dignity of this group of South Africans.

However we are deeply concerned that other sections of this bill deal with power over the land in the former bantustans, and those living there. These sections give new powers to unelected people who sit on “traditional councils and sub-councils”, which are essentially the “tribal authorities” set up under the Bantu Authorities Act of 1951.

Clause 24 of the TKLB empowers these  ”traditional leaders” to sign deals without obtaining the consent of those whose land rights are undermined or dispossessed by such deals. This means that citizens living in these areas do not have the same rights as those living elsewhere in South Africa.  The deals may be with mining companies, property developers, tourism ventures, agricultural companies, municipalities or anybody else.
 
In October this year the Constitutional Court delivered the “Maledu” judgment, saying that the consent of the holders of affected ‘informal land rights’ is required before decisions impacting on their land rights can be taken.  But in an apparent attempt to undermine that Constitutional Court judgement, the Department of Traditional Affairs has in this last week proposed some last-minute amendments to strengthen clause 24 of the TKLB and further empower chiefs to sign deals without the consent of the people whose land rights are affected.
 
Because of our great concern that this process is undermining the values of the ANC, the Stalwarts and Veterans propose to take the following initial actions:
1.       Issue this media statement to openly express our concern;
2.       Engage with ANC structures in parliament;
3.       Engage with formal structures of the ANC;
4.       Engage with the relevant sub-committee of the NEC;
5.       Engage with S & V structures in other provinces and
6.       Engage with ANC branches of which we as individuals are members
 

 

Issued by The ANC Stalwarts And Veterans