Traditional leaders vent anger at GNU over rural neglect – SABC News
Traditional leaders have strongly expressed their anger at what they say is the failure of the Government of National Unity (GNU) in addressing the plight of rural people.
This came out at the 2025 National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders Imbizo taking place in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
The three-day meeting is called to review the progress made in ensuring rural development, social cohesion and land matters, among others.
On Wednesday, different political parties in the GNU will address the over 300 delegates from the Royal Leaders of SA, the National Khoi-San Council and Representatives of the Provincial and Local Houses of Traditional Leaders, among others.
Some of the country’s traditional leaders have accused the government of making false promises and are now threatening to boycott the 2026 local elections if their issues continue to be ignored.
The President of Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) Kgosi Mathupa Mokoena says government has made a lot of promises with no delivery.
Mokoena says they want to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying that he was there in 2017 when the President promised that he would transfer all the land to ‘AboNdabezitha’ if he was elected as president within six months.
“He said six months, it was in 2017. Chairperson and your executive, we are demanding that we are going to meet the president as Amakhosi, it is urgent. If he doesn’t see us, we say, come next year’s elections, we will see who will vote for you because they are playing us here. When there is a disaster, there is money, but when it comes to the issue of traditional leaders, there is no money. We are saying enough is enough and the buck stops here,” says Mokoena.
The National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) led by Chairperson Kgosi Thabo Seatlholo, is hosting the 2025 Traditional Leaders IMBIZO in Gauteng, from 19 – 21 August 2025 https://t.co/ZIewzSpwSG#NHTKLImbizo2025 #TraditionalLeadership pic.twitter.com/pATrrQ6fem
— NationalCoGTA 🇿🇦 (@NationalCoGTA) August 19, 2025