THOHOYANDOU - The lament of traditional leaders in the Limpopo Province have been heard, said the MEC in the Premier's Office, Ms Catherine Mabuza, when she officially opened the Second House of Traditional Leaders during a colourful ceremony in the old parliamentary building in Thohoyandou on Monday.

Mabuza said the government has established a concrete relationship with traditional leaders countrywide. "It is through this co-operation that we were able to develop and transform traditional authority offices into governmental services delivery centres in the rural areas," she said. The MEC added that since 2002 the government had already completed the construction of 52 traditional authority offices in the different districts.

These services include the registration of the Child Support Grant, payment of municipal services, payment of electricity, registration of births and telephone bills.

The conversion of traditional authority offices into service centres brings on added responsibility to their staff with regard to capacity. Approximately 197 members have been trained in general administration, personnel administration, labour relations and security of information and traditional authority assets.

The government is investigating the possibility of taking on staff of traditional authorities into the government's payroll. In line with the remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act of 1998, the government has completed the payment of areas to traditional leaders. The databank of traditional leadership and royal families is being developed and maintained in the province. This databank has been running since May 2002 and it will assist the government in resolving succession disputes in the future and enhance the accuracy of identifying successors when the need arises.

Mabuza emphasised that no headman was to be appointed without the express consent of the government.

Any traditional leader disobeying this legal injunction is doing so at own risk and the government would distance itself from all purported appointment made without its consent.

On the issue of abusing the institution of traditional leaders, anyone who seeks to tarnish the image of this institution seeks to tarnish your own image. The revised regulations will be passed into law before the commencement of initiation schools this year.

The MEC said the co-operation has helped to improve the management of these schools and thus reduced the number of fatalities. In 2002, 93 initiation schools complied with regulations and did not have any incident, however, 17 illegal schools resulted in one death.

The death came as a result of initiation rituals, which is a dramatic reduction compared to 11 in 2001.