THE Njhakanjhaka Traditional Council says it will lodge a formal complaint with the Makhado municipality after the allegedly shambolic manner in which the installation of their chief - Samuel Mkhari - was handled at the weekend.

Among other complaints made by the council is that the stage was not big enough to accommodate all the key speakers.

They said the stage could only accommodate Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale, Vhembe district executive mayor Florence Dzhombere and Mkhari, while the other speakers had to sit among the audience.

Council spokesman Samuel Shivambu said: "We are first waiting for a report from the organising committee. We will then lodge a formal complain because we expect better as residents of Makhado."

Shivambu also lambasted the municipality for having organised an integrated development plan review event at the same time as the installation of the chief, which he said had made it impossible for some of the people to attend.

"Staging a counter-attraction was suspicious and undermined the chief," Shivambu said.

The new chief was officially installed by Mathale. Other guests included Chief John Xikundu, who gave the new chief the royal leopard skin.

Makhado municipal spokesman Louis Bobodi, said: "The IDP (review event) was planned a long time ago. while ad hoc events - like the chief's installation - had to take place at some point."