NCOP passes the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill in a “special sitting”

On 10 January, the NCOP convened a “special sitting” and passed the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill (TKLB) along with two other Bills. Eight provinces voted in the affirmative, while the Western Cape was the only province that voted against the TKLB.  It is extremely concerning that the NCOP passed the TKLB as it will allow traditional councils to enter into partnerships and agreements relating to development or mining without the consent of the people whose land rights will be affected. In this way TKLB will undermine the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act (IPILRA), which requires consent before anyone is deprived of their informal right to land. Furthermore TKLB will also undermine two recent judgements, in the Maledu and Baleni cases, which ordered that IPILRA be complied with.  Please see a statement by the Stop the Bantustan Bills campaign in response to the Bill being passed by the NCOP.