Contralesa will not break away to form a new political party
Traditional leaders in KZN say they are opposed to a proposal for the group representing them to form a political party and contest elections.
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) recently held a special general council meeting in the Eastern Cape - where some chiefs apparently expressed their disappointment with how the ANC treats them.
The congress is said to be frustrated after numerous requests to meet with party officials were apparently ignored.
At a media briefing in Durban yesterday, Inkosi Nhlakanipho Maphumulo said KZN is not the only province that's dismissed the idea of going it alone.
"In as much as there are pieces of legislation within government that we might not agree upon, or certain issues that we would not agree upon with the ruling party. But engagements in terms of those are on-going and we felt we would not go to such extremes as to form an alternate to the government of the day," he said.
Maphumulo says those who want to form a new party should leave the congress.
"Those within Contralesa who feel that formation of a new political party is either inevitable or it must happen or they feel that is the route to go as traditional leaders then they must go out of Contralesa, form their political party. We don't have a problem with that. But to form a political party, who will be going against our preamble, our vision statement and our constitution," he said.