Online Reporter
Bongani Moyo
A TRADITIONAL court session in Kezi turned chaotic after villagers accused Chief Njabulo Bhebhe of allegedly abusing his authority and wealth to force vulnerable families into giving him their daughters in marriage.
The heated proceedings reportedly saw villagers openly confront the traditional leader, accusing him of using his position and members of his traditional police to intimidate families who resisted his demands.
One villager told the gathering that some families had allegedly been subjected to pressure to marry their young daughters to the chief, while complaints against him had failed to attract action from either his traditional police or the regular police.
“People are afraid to speak because the chief has power and money. There are families who have been pressured to give their daughters to him, and when they resist, they are harassed. What is painful is that when people report these matters, both the traditional police and the police appear to turn a blind eye,” the villager said.
Another villager told the court that some of the disputes allegedly began after the chief had lent money to struggling families.
“When the family fails to repay the money, the chief then demands that they give him their daughter in marriage. That is what some families have been facing. A debt should not become a reason for someone to demand a girl as a wife,” the villager said.
The allegations sparked further outrage when another villager mentioned several young women who had allegedly fled their homes after the chief had, according to the villager, made attempts to marry them.
Names mentioned during the proceedings included Samukeliso Mtethwa, Ability Nkomazana and Duduzile Moyo.
The villager claimed that while the young women had left to escape the alleged pressure, their parents remained exposed to intimidation and harassment in the community.
“The girls ran away because they did not want to be forced into something they did not want. But their parents are the ones who remain behind and have to face the wrath of the chief. His traditional police are allegedly used to terrorise them,” the villager said.
The court session reportedly became increasingly heated as villagers challenged the chief over the allegations and demanded that their concerns be addressed.
During the confrontation, Chief Bhebhe allegedly told villagers that he was untouchable and that they should accept his authority, according to people who attended the proceedings.
He allegedly maintained that despite their complaints, he would continue exercising his authority as he saw fit.
The claims have raised questions about the protection of vulnerable women and girls in traditional communities, as well as the mechanisms available to villagers who believe they are being victimised by traditional leaders.
However, the allegations made during the court session could not independently be verified.
Efforts to obtain a response from Chief Bhebhe on the allegations, including the claims that he had demanded marriage from families indebted to him and used traditional police to intimidate his critics, were not immediately successful.
The police could also not immediately be reached for comment on allegations that officers had ignored complaints against the traditional leader.
