Kurhuleni community not accepting chief

Two weeks ago the Mirror reported on the installation of Vho-Ndavheleseni Kharidzha as the new chief of Kurhuleni.

What the report neglected to reflect, was that the Kurhuleni community has refused to accept this appointment and even turned to the courts to stop the ceremony from going ahead. The ceremony was also marred by protest action, during which the police were called in to try and restore order.

The Kurhuleni Community Authority Council reacted to the newspaper report last week and, in a media release, threatens to file contempt-of-court charges against Thovhele Nthumeni Masia. The Kurhuleni Council obtained a court interdict on 19 December last year, which prohibits the installation of a new chief until such time as the legal dispute concerning the land is finalised.

Mr Owen Makhubele of the Kurhuleni community structure said that the action of Masia to appoint a chief is a clear sign of tribal cleansing and it increases tension between the Tsonga and Venda people. "Masia has already illegally occupied land belonging to the Tsonga, and he is widely perceived to harbour hatred of the Tsonga," Mahubele states in the press release. The case that is currently in the High Court concerns the land (Farm Ongedacht, LT52) that the Kurhuleni community believe belongs to them.

According to Makhubele, the rightful candidate for the position of chief is Mr Magezi Noel Pataka. He said that the Masia Royal Council appointed Kharidzha as the chief of Kurhuleni, but they believed the correct procedures had not been followed as the land did not belong to the Vhavenda. "Our own research shows most of the land Masia currently occupies belonged to us, but for the sake of peace we allow the status quo to remain. However, he will not be allowed to loot whatever remains of our land," said Makhubele.

The chairperson for the Masia Royal Council, Chief Nkhipheni Livhuwani Matsila, did not want to comment on the issue and said such matters should not be discussed in the media or settled in court. He said that the correct channels needed to be followed and the issue should be discussed during a gathering of the relevant members of the royal family. He said that no single individual person appointed the new chief as it was the responsibility of the royal family.

Chief Matsila explained that, according to Venda culture, the chieftaincy (Vhuhosi) is the property of the family and the chief is the "manager" of that property. "The appointment of the successor will thus be the responsibility of the royal family," he said. Matsila said that they had defended the interdict on 19 December and only thereafter had they finally installed the chief.

Date:23 January 2015

By: Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

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