President welcomes training for traditional leaders to act as change agents

President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the partnership between the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and the National School of Government (NSG) to provide training on, among other things, facilitating socio-economic development for traditional communities.

“The programme is aimed at empowering traditional leaders to act as change agents in their communities, and to transfer new knowledge and skills so we can initiate sustainable economic interventions in our rural areas,” said the President.

The President was delivering the keynote address at the annual official opening of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chamber in Cape Town, on Thursday. 

“We know that capacity building is essential if we are to enhance the role traditional leaders play in development,” said the President.

He said the goal was an active rural citizenry with traditional leaders at the helm.

The Art of Facilitating Socio-Economic Development for Traditional Leaders Programme is part of the suite of funded programmes offered by the NSG for public servants to attend free. 

These courses are delivered by the NSG as part of interventions to professionalise the public sector and to improve performance in all spheres of government.

The programme seeks to support and empower Traditional Leaders to act as economic change agents in their communities and be able to create sustainable jobs and create wealth while also building an active rural citizenry who participate in and support economic development.

“It will provide the Traditional Leaders with knowledge and skills to identify and utilize local natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way.

“It is aimed at capacitating Traditional Leaders with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and practical capabilities to engage and empower communities to use the available opportunities for their own socio-economic development. The programme supports a range of role-players who work closely with communities, that are, volunteers from the community, Community Development Workers, government officials and Traditional Leaders,” the NSG had said in an earlier statement.

The Programme assists Traditional Leaders, amongst others, to: 

1. Act on their roles and responsibilities in terms of the Constitution, related legislation, and the NDP, to realise the socio-economic rights of their poor communities through paying attention to their economic and developmental needs.
2. Recognise that their primary function is to promote socio-economic development, good governance, and wealth creation interventions in their areas of jurisdiction.
3. Demonstrate commitment and passion for working in a collaborative and participatory way with communities and other strategic partners.
4. Understand and apply protocols for working with a range of community stakeholders (community representatives, government officials, ward councillors and community development workers) in a respectful and participatory manner to further the socio-economic objectives of their communities.
5. Demonstrate and apply mentoring skills needed to support, empower, and mentor communities in sustainable developments activities.
6. Make communities aware of their Constitutional rights and government responsibility in granting access to services.
7. Apply Ubuntu and Afrika-centric principles and methods for dealing with community stakeholders.

Elections 

Meanwhile, the President urged traditional leaders to continue to encourage all eligible voters to  participate in the National and Provincial Elections on 29 May 2024.

“As we have done before, we call on traditional leaders to actively promote free and fair campaigning, and to ensure that all voters can exercise their democratic right,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za