Infuriated residents of Mukondeni Village in Ha-Mulima are at loggerheads with their headman and their senior traditional chief.

This follows the R100 annual tax they have to pay to the chief, the R600 that a family has to pay when they bury their loved one in the local cemetery and the R20 monthly payment for the tribal society. Members of the community accused their traditional leaders of allegedly misusing the tribal society money which they (leaders) insisted was for the benefit of the community.

According to the local South African National Civic Organization (SANCO) branch, every household pays R10 if any member of the community passes away. Most residents were complaining that they were paying unnecessary bills and that if they did not pay they would not receive any tribal services. Community grievances recently came to light when the headman initially refused a certain family permission to bury their 10-year-old boy in the local cemetery. They could only do so after paying R600 to open the gate.

The general secretary of SANCO in the village, Mr Thomas Rabulu, said community members did not understand why they should pay R100 annual tax to the headman. “We are paying tax to the government, why should we pay tax to the headman?” he asked.

Mr Caiphus Mashamba, a community member, insisted that before the headman arrived the practice of ordering a family to pay R600 to bury their loved one at the local cemetery had been scrapped. He said the local cemetery was in good condition and residents were maintaining the site, hence they believed it was not necessary for them to pay the R600. “I was a leader of people who used to maintain the graveyard, and honestly most of us do not understand where the money is going,” said Mashamba.

SANCO chairperson Mr Takalani Sithi said that even people who were selling sorghum beer (mahafhe) were told to take a five-litre bottle to the headman to pay for conducting their business in the area. “They are oppressing people. Even those who are just trying to survive have to pay tax to the headman,” he said.

The headman, Mr Mulubi Mashamba, lashed out at community members who were complaining about the taxes. He said he was merely exercising duties delegated by the head office. Headman Mashamba said the R600 burial charge was implemented because most people refused to join the council’s society. “Those who have better jobs in the village are influencing those who are poor not to pay the society and the annual tax,” he said. He said the annual tax was required to renovate the tribal offices. He added that all 17 villages which fell under the jurisdiction of Chief Mulima were paying the prescribed taxes and there were no problems when they requested services from the tribal office.

Talking to Limpopo Mirror last Tuesday, Chief Mulima insisted that he was not the right person to respond to the accusations. “These questions should be directed to the senior members of the traditional council,” he said.

Initially, Mr Moses Raswiswi, who is believed to be the secretary of the chief, refused to talk to the press and insisted that he was not the right person to talk to. “Where did you get my number? I am not the right person to talk to and I don’t know anything about that,” he said.

Pfananani village, one of the villages that fall under the jurisdiction of Chief Mulima, is apparently not paying the annual tax and the R600 burial charge. A member of SANCO in the community who spoke on condition of anonymity, said their community refused to pay the money.

“Most communities have the same problem, but with us we never agreed to pay that R600. When this annual tax was introduced, we were told that it was money to help renovate the tribal office, but now any individual who does not not pay receives no tribal services from the chief,” he said.