Parliament, Tuesday, 09 May 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has welcomed today’s introduction of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Amendment Bill by the Department of Traditional Affairs.
“Our support is informed by the fact that the proposed amendments seek to address technical and operational gaps, which would have been taken care of through the enactment of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB). Unfortunately, processes to pass the TKLB into law have not been finalised,” said Committee Chairperson Mr Richard Mdakane.
According to the Department’s Acting Deputy Director-General for Research, Policy and Legislation, Mr Abram Sithole, upon becoming aware of these challenges, the Department ensured that appropriate provisions were included in the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB). However, due to TKLB processes still underway, the Department felt it necessary to propose these urgent and appropriate amendments to the existing Framework Act, to close the gaps identified.
The challenges that necessitated the Bill relate to the lack of adherence to timeframes required by some of the provisions of the principal Act. In terms of the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2003, tribal authorities had to be reconstituted as traditional councils, king- and queenship councils had to be established, and community authorities had to be disestablished, all within certain timeframes.
The Bill intends addressing the identified challenges by, among other things, extending all the timeframes and by determining that the calculation of such extended timeframes will be from the date of commencement of this Amendment Bill and not from the date of commencement of the original Act.
The Committee said it would do its best to ensure that all the required Committee processes are done expeditiously, to enable the Department to effect the necessary amendments.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, MR RICHARD MDAKANE
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