Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

All 21 members of the Mpumalanga house of traditional leaders who have served three years of a five-year term in office have been re-elected.

The house held elections at the provincial legislature in Nelspruit on Friday. The elections were supervised by MEC for local government and housing Candid Mashego-Dlamini.

Former house chairman, Mzingeli Mthethwa and his deputy, Anastacia Mohlala were re-elected to their positions unopposed.

Three of the 21 members will represent the province in the national House of Traditional Leaders.

Mthethwa said that during his tenure he had not experienced any problems with any member of the house.

The house allowed Mashego-Dlamini to be sworn in as chairman of the electoral committee and other members of the electoral committee were also sworn in. Their duty was to monitor the elections to ensure that they were free and fair.

Of the 21 members of the house, three were elected to represent the province in the national House of Traditional Leaders.

Mthethwa said there were a few challenges he would address during his new term in office.

Mthethwa said: "The biggest challenge is to establish the local houses of traditional leaders.

"It is imperative to establish these local houses because, without them, it is virtually impossible for the regional house to work efficiently. We need them to advise us of any problems at grassroots level."

Mthethwa also said that the relationship between the regional house and the local municipalities had improved since the conflict which had beset the two parties in recent years.

The feud had at one stage prevented municipalities from developing in areas led by traditional leaders. But now, he said, roles played by traditional leaders and municipalities, as far as development was concerned, were clearly defined.