AmaQadi Traditional Authority leader Inkosi Mqoqi Ngcobo receives the keys to his new vehicle from KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Thulasizwe Buthelezi during a handover ceremony in Durban on Monday.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has launched the next phase of its vehicle distribution programme for traditional leaders, despite ongoing criticism over the initiative's cost and alleged political motives.
The latest rollout began in Durban on Monday, where traditional leaders from five districts received GWM P300 double-cab bakkies and Ford Territory sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The handover forms part of a province-wide programme that will see 35 vehicles distributed this week, following the delivery of the first 30 vehicles in March.
Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi said a total of 65 amakhosi will benefit from the programme, which he described as part of a broader effort to professionalise traditional leadership and restore the dignity of traditional leaders.
Buthelezi also announced that all traditional leaders in the province are now members of medical aid schemes, saying the interventions demonstrate the provincial government's commitment to strengthening the institution of traditional leadership.
