The Tshivhase royal house, one of the oldest royal structures in the country, has vowed that they will continue installing new traditional leaders as a way of reinforcing the kingdom and to ensure proper governance and efficient service delivery to its communities. The family also reacted with dismay to reports that they are acting illegally and that they are defiling the Vhavenda culture by installing traditional leaders in Vhembe.

The house suffered two setbacks over the past two weeks. First the Thohoyandou High Court granted an urgent interdict prohibiting Mailausumbwa Kennedy Tshivhase from installing two new chiefs in the Phiphidi and Ramulongo villages. Arguments to state why the interdict should become a permanent order of the court will be heard on 12 February.

Secondly, the Department of  Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs in Limpopo issued an ultimatum last week, instructing traditional leaders to stop installing traditional leaders in an "unlawful way". In a circular sent to all traditional leaders in Vhembe, the department states that the recent installations of traditional leaders (mostly in Vhembe) were not in line with the Limpopo Traditional Leadership and Institutions Act , Act 6 of 2005, or the amended Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act of 2003 .

The circular further states that the department has not pronounced the results of a commission of inquiry or an instruction from any state organ instructing the department to change positions of traditional leaders and the addition in numbers of traditional leaders in Vhembe, except for the Mphephu Kingship. It also proclaims that the recent installations are illegal and that such traditional leaders installed will not be paid salaries by the department.

So far, the Tshivhase royal house has installed 12 senior traditional leaders with the rank of Thovhele and has also installed chiefs in several of the villages under the Tshivhase jurisdiction. Sources claim that many of those installed are not from royal families but commoners who allegedly paid amounts ranging from R30 000 and several herds of cattle to Mailausumbwa Kennedy Tshivhase.

In some villages, the recent installations were met with hostile receptions and have divided the communities. Some have described these steps as a serious waste of taxpayers’ money, especially considering the salaries that traditional leaders receive. Last year, Premier Cassel announced that an additional R80 million had been allocated for salary increases for traditional leaders. New salary scales were introduced whereby headmen's annual salaries jumped from R13 000 to R150 000. Senior chiefs' annual remuneration went up to R170 000.

Reacting to utterances from different quarters of the community and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Leaders, Chief Luvhaivhai Tshivhase of the Tshivhase royal family said they were shocked by the recent developments.

"We totally reject the contents of the circular from the department. All our processes are within the law. The worst part of it is that we have not as yet approached the department with a view of introducing our new leaders. They are just acting on hearsay from the street. According to us, they have nothing to reject so far. We are not installing traditional leaders with the view of them getting allowances. We believe in service delivery to our people," said Tshivhase.

He also lambasted statements by the Vhembe House of Traditional Leaders which accused the Tshivhase Dynasty of defiling the Vhavenda culture. "The same people who are accusing us did not object when headmen were promoted to chiefs during the apartheid era. They are the ones who are degrading the culture because they allow a ndumi to take up a traditional leadership position, which is far from what the Vhavenda culture dictates. The Tshivhase family has never deviated from culture. It is the only kingdom that is still pure and will remain intact forever," said Tshivhase.

He said it was the Tshivhase family who was the first to receive the title of Thovhele and the other 27 Thovhele followed. "This was not approved by the department, but it is recognized as such. Why do these objections surface now? We will continue the installations for the sake of our people," he said.