24 Government Gazette 22 December 2000 Act No. 25, 2000 No. 2456 TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES ACT, 2000 Settlement of disputes 12. (1) If a dispute arises amongst the members of a traditional community as to whether or not a person to be designated as (a) chief for head of the traditional community in terms of section 4 is the rightful or a fit and proper person under the customary law of that community to be so designated; or (b) successor in terms of section 8 is the rightful or a fit and proper successor to the office of chief or head of the traditional community under the customary law of that community, and the members of that traditional community fail to resolve that dispute in accordance with such customary law, they may submit to the Minister a written petition, signed by the parties to the dispute, stating the nature of the dispute. (2) On receipt of a petition referred to in subsection (1), the Minister may appoint an investigation committee consisting of such number of persons as he or she may determine, to investigate the dispute in question and to report to the Minister concerning its findings and recommendations. (3) The Minister shall on receipt of the report referred to in subsection (2) take such decision as he or she may deem expedient for the resolutions of the dispute in question. (4) In the investigation or resolution of a dispute under this section regard shall be had to the relevant customary law and traditional practices of the traditional community within which the dispute has arisen. Powers of investigation committee 13. (1) An investigation committee, or any member thereof authorized by such committee for the purpose, may, in the investigation of a dispute contemplated in section 12(2) (a) in its or his or her discretion determine the nature and extent of the investigation in question; page 24