President Jacob Zuma on Saturday called on traditional leaders to help government to fight crime.

"We urge our traditional leaders to assist us in arresting the incidents of crime in our communities, particularly during the festive season," said Zuma addressing members of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) attending a three-day summit for traditional leaders in Durban.

Zuma said his government had placed the fight against crime as a top priority, saying that the fight against crime needed to be intensified in all parts of the country.

"In addition to commanding respect and authority over our rural areas, we know that traditional leaders will work with government to re-instil the values of respect."

Zuma also urged traditional leaders to work closely with government to ensure that their concerns were addressed.

"The African National Congress (ANC) has never divorced itself from traditional leaders. We knew that by destroying the manner in which dignity and standing of African people [sic]," Zuma said.

He said history had taught him that in all parts of the world, wherever there was a serious clash between traditional leaders and republicans, traditional leaders never survived.

"History shows that they are usually crushed by the republicans. It is only where traditional leaders were flexible in outlook, strategy and tactics that they survived as an institution," he said.

The institution of traditional leadership had worked well with governments in countries such as England, Norway and Netherlands, he said.

"It is therefore critical for the institution to be dynamic and be able to adjust to the changing conditions."

Zuma called on Contralesa to work with the ANC to map out a strategy to properly locate traditional leaders in a democratic South Africa.

"The political space created by the constitutional democracy has exposed this urgent need for traditional leaders to unite and to begin to speak with one voice in engaging government."

He said traditional leaders needed to realise that the current government was different from the apartheid regime and colonialists which wanted to destroy the institution of traditional leadership.

"Because our people expressed loyalty to traditional leaders, colonisers focused on them very specifically for punishment. Some were killed, deposed or exiled when they fought against the oppression."

Sapa

Incorrigible bastards The Point sifts through brain farts and blue lights to find they're all incorrigible bastards.

Summing up Selebi's trial Getting lost in the Selebi trial? Read our nifty little summary of the first four weeks...

Visit our politics page Need the latest political news, features, interviews and profiles? Visit our dedicated page...