The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mr. Velenkosini Hlabisa will return to the Eastern Cape to have a broader engagement with traditional leadership, including headmen and headwomen, on initiatives to ensure safer customary initiation. This engagement is a follow up on the meeting the Minister held with representatives of traditional leaders, headmen and headwomen on 8 February 2025 where discussions were held to ensure that the upcoming customary initiation seasons are conducted with zero fatalities in compliance with the Customary Initiation Act.

Expected to be in this broader meeting are Deputy Ministers of COGTA, the Eastern Cape provincial COGTA leadership, representatives of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Executive Committee of the Forum of Royal Leaders, the Executive of the Eastern Cape Provincial House, the Executive of the Eastern Cape, Local Houses, Mayors of the District and local Municipalities, Speakers of the Eastern Cape, Municipalities and Executive Committees of CONTRALESA and ROLESA.

Members of the media are invited to cover the meeting scheduled to take place as follows:

Date : 22 February 2025
Time : 09h00
Venue : Savoy Hotel, Mthatha, Eastern Cape

Ends –

For media enquiries, kindly contact:

Ms. Pearl Maseko-Binqose
Media Liaison Officer for the Minister of CoGTA
+27 (82) 772 1709

Mr. Legadima Leso
COGTA Head of Communications
+27 (66) 479 9904

Issued by the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs

#MyTraditionMyPride #EveryMunicipalityMustWork