Challenges faced by Female Chairperson of the CPA Committee which are caused by the Traditional Leadership - Thabile Maphumulo, Chairperson Ekuphumuleni CPA, Utrecht

I am the Chairperson of Ekuphumuleni CPA and the Women’s Committee called Thembalihle. I am facing numerous challenges caused by the Traditional Leaders (amaKhosi). When people lodged their land claims, Traditional Leaders threatened them saying they will never get back their land, land belongs to them as Traditional Leaders. People therefore felt scared to lodge their claims. As the land was legally returned to us, Traditional Leaders want to manipulate us.

Community members have built huge houses. The Traditional Leader is interrogating them demanding to know on whose land they have they built their houses and who permitted them to do so? This has caused confusion amongst people and they are asking me as the chairperson as to what is going on.

People then elected a Development Committee. What surprised us is that the Traditional Leader also elected his own committee. All these occurrences cause confusion amongst the community. Due to the manner in which Traditional Leaders operate some members of the community are now associating themselves with the Traditional Leader’s Committee. The Traditional Leader is nullifying every development that comes through the CPA.

He tells people not to be misled by a “woman” who claims Chairmanship on His land. He incited members of Ekuphumuleni to remove me from the Chairmanship implying that I am niggling people. As we speak, people are preparing to take the matter to court because of these wrongdoings of this Traditional Leader.