S.African government allows local chieftains to keep power

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) -- The South African government has defused a dispute with tribal leaders that threatened to derail key local elections set for early December, allowing them -- at least for now -- to retain most of their local powers.

"This has been agreed by the Amakhosi (traditional leaders' council)," Chief Ndaba Mtirara told Reuters on Thursday, referring to a legal text drawn up late on Wednesday night and due to be passed by parliament on Monday.

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The 800 traditional leaders in South Africa who hold sweeping powers over millions of people had threatened to boycott the elections unless their demands were met.

The local government municipal structures second amendment bill passed to end the dispute allows the chieftains to maintain control of communal lands, which they would have been forced to cede to elected representatives after the December 5 vote.

It also -- albeit vaguely -- commits the newly-elected municipal councils and the traditional leaders to work together for the local good.

Under previous versions of the amendment bill traditional leaders would have been limited to ceremonial functions including organizing ceremonies and the collection of firewood.

The chiefs dismissed those versions as insulting.

Zam Titus, director general in the local government ministry, said during a hearing on Thursday that the original drafters of the bill had overstepped the mark.

Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi told the hearing the amendment was a transitional measure while the government consulted on the roles of traditional leaders with the aim of introducing comprehensive new legislation in mid-2001.

"These measures do preserve some role for the institution of traditional leadership. They don't purport to give traditional leaders all the things they want," he said.

He said rural development had to be given top priority, as 2.2 million households, or 90 percent of those living in tribal areas, lacked clean water, 72 percent had no gas or electricity and 97 percent had no telephones.

"This is a staggering indication of the tremendous challenge we face," he said.

But Mtirara noted that providing services was one thing and getting those without income to pay was something else again.

On December 5 voters will elect councils in 284 municipalities, down drastically from the previous total of 843.

Campaigning has already been marred by violence between supporters, bad-tempered exchanges between the main parties and almost complete apathy among potential voters.

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