Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Private Bag X1000
Cape Town
8000
Mr LO Mabuyane
Premier of the Eastern Cape
Private Bag X0047
Bhisho
5605
Mr XE Nqatha
Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Private Bag X0035
Bhisho
5605
Dear Minister Dlamini-Zuma, Premier Mabuyane and MEC Nqatha
Complaints received from Amakhosi of the Fingo Region
1. I refer to an email that had been erroneously, solely sent to Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr NC Dlamini-Zuma, on 26 May 2021, regarding various complaints I had received from the Amakhosi of the Fingo region in the Eastern Cape that had not been accompanied by an introductory letter.
I apologise for this administrative oversight, as I had also intended to raise the matter with the Honourable Premier of the Eastern Cape and the Honourable Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which had regrettably fallen by the wayside.
2. The complaints arose from a meeting I had attended two weeks ago in Ngqamakhwe with the Amakhosi from the Fingo Region of Ngqamakhwe, Butterworth and Tsomo.
3. Regarding the communities in their areas, the Amakhosi’s main complaints are around the conditions of roads, the lack of running water and water for livestock, dipping of animals, ploughing of fields, the distances children must walk to school and that health facilities are too far.
4. Regarding their own fates, the Amakhosi’s main frustrations are that they feel ignored and neglected by government and how they are treated compared to their counterparts in other areas and provinces.
5. I attach to this letter their writ of complaint, which details what I have briefly summarised above as signed on behalf of the Amakhosi of the Fingo Region by G Sobekwa, EG Bangeni and VV Nobanda.
6. I hope that your offices would urgently take the time to engage with these leaders as they are such an important cog in our society. Their voices, as such, are valuable and should be listened to, and their grievances must be attended to.
Yours faithfully
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
President of the United Democratic Movement