SPEECH BY THE ACTING MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE, MR. FIKILE
MBALULA, DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF THE MINISTER OF ARTS AND
CULTURE, MR. PAUL MASHATILE, ON THE OCCASION TO MARK AND
CELEBRATE THE TWENTIETH YEAR OF EXISTENCE SINCE CONTRALESA
WAS LAUNCHED AS A NATIONAL ORGANISATION
Honourable Premier of the Northern Cape Province, Ms Hazel Jenkins
Honourable President of CONTRALESA Nkosi SP Holomisa Ah! Dilizintaba and
his deputy: Inkosi N. Khuzwayo and members
Honourable Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr.
Sicelo Shiceka
Honourable Minister of Public Service and Administration: Mr. Richard Baloyi
Honourable Prince Zolani Mkiva
Honourable Prince Z Burns-Ncamashe
Honourable Provincial Chairperson Kgosi Bareki
Honourable General – Secretary Kgosi Thobejane
Honourable Prince Gambane Mabena
Honourable Secretary-General of the African National Congress, Mr. Gwede
Mantashe
All dignitaries Present here
All Protocol Observed
Contralesa was founded on the basis of the ideology of the progressive liberation
movement in South Africa. By subscribing to the popular liberation movement in
our country large sections of the traditional leadership chose the agenda which
represented the genuine interests of the majority of South Africans. Rooted in
the democratic traditions of the liberation movement, Contralesa has shared its
insight on a number of strategic and tactical areas, as we forged ahead with the
resolution South African conflict. The colonial and apartheid legacy divided and
nearly destroyed the socio-cultural influence and political authority of traditional
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leaders. We appreciate the role played by Contralesa in ensuring that traditional
leadership remains a living institution grounded on the South African realities. As
you celebrate twenty years which have been marked by focused activism, you
must always remember that you are descendants of powerful kingdoms and
empires. You command the un-diminishing loyalty and trust of many citizens of
this country.
Across Africa, the liberation movement enjoyed solidarity from the chiefs and
kings who allowed their land to be used as bases for political and military work.
We note the interaction and engagement of Contralesa with other traditional
leaders in SADC and the rest of Africa.
Traditional institutions are a very important element of the South African society.
The strategic perspective shared by CONTRALESA now, has emancipatory
intentions which seek to overcome exploitation, poverty, diseases, and focused
attention to broader social change. The growing significance and importance of
traditional leaders in South Africa has been applauded across the country as the
democratic government provided more space and opportunity for traditional
leaders to influence government policy and society. In this post liberation era,
traditional leaders must take the lead in reviving and consolidating cultural
identities in our unique but diverse country, revitalize indigenous knowledge and
assist the country to elevate indigenous technology. Crucial to this is a strategic
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question, how do we emancipate the African voice? And what is going to be our
shared identity in year 3000 given our multi-cultural context?
CONTRALESA is mandated to work cooperatively with national, provincial and
local spheres of government to ensure that service delivery in rural traditional
communities is achieved. Therefore, this institution of traditional leaders is
committed to the overall cultural, social and economic development of the people
of South Africa. It is thus of utmost importance to ensure that national, provincial
and local government structures provide adequate resources to traditional
leaders to enable them to carry out their mandate, which is to serve and protect
the needs and interests of traditional rural communities. CONTRALESA should
therefore be seen as a statutory body or institution which is an extra leg and a
structure of local government responsible for traditional rural communities’
affairs.
It is important to note that CONTRALESA forms part of the transformation
agenda of government guided by the principles of democracy. The process of
transformation therefore does not exclude traditional leadership which was
negatively affected by systems of oppression such as imperialism, colonialism
and Apartheid. However, the right of traditional authorities on succession by birth
is clearly defined, but consideration of democratic processes to elect councilors
is strongly encouraged. In addition to that, the constitution of South Africa allows
for flexible recognition of women and youth in the composition of traditional
leadership.
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Before imperialism, Africa was blessed with many empires and kingdoms such
as the Kingdom of Nubia, now part of Sudan and Egypt, the Mali Empire, in the
Western part of Africa and now part of Mali, the Mapungubwe Empire, now part
of the Limpopo Province, the Great Zimbabwe and many other empires and
kingdoms in other parts of Africa. The major common denominators among these
African Kingdoms and Empires were that they were politically stable, socially
cohesive and economically self-sufficient. All these elements were achieved due
to the diligent, conscientious and industrious leadership from our traditional
leaders. Resources such as land, water and minerals were equally owned by the
communities and the traditional leadership was the custodian of all the resources
However, the advent of imperialism, which was followed by colonialism after the
Treaty of Berlin of 1884 – 1885, drastically changed the stable political, selfsufficient economical and cohesive social system. These drastic changes were
achieved through a litany of dubious acts that are too numerous to list here.
However, our Kings and chiefs during the imperial and colonial eras did not fold
their arms, but mobilized their followers to challenge the imperialists and
colonialists of that time whose main objective, amongst others, when they landed
on the African shores, was to plunder our resources such as land, mineral and
other resources that are beneath our rich African soil.
Our heritage is more than 3,5 billion years old and it cannot be adequately told
without mentioning the role of our traditional leaders. In almost every epoch of
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the national democratic revolution South African Kings and Chiefs played a
pivotal role in resisting the advance of imperialism and colonialism. It started with
the successful repelling of the landing of Portuguese on the shores of the Cape
by the gallant Khoi and Sun combatants in 1400s which characterized arrivals led
by Vasco Da Gama, the Dutch Setters led by Jan van Riebeeck and British
settlers led by many governors general. The situation was worsened by the
adoption of the Treaty of Berlin in the late 19th century, the scramble for Africa,
where Africa was carved into various colonial enclaves under the foreign
Western powers. This was the period when Africa was formally colonized. Again,
our Kings and Chiefs put up one of the most formidable fights of resistance in the
history of colonialism. I would like to make specific examples of this resistance
from South Africa as we are all familiar with them. Here I am referring to,
amongst others, Amampondo Uprisings and other Frontiers Wars, which were
fought in the whole of the Cape, the Battle of Blood River and the Battle of
ISandlwana in Natal and other many wars of Resistance that were fourth in the
then Transvaal in particular the Northern part of Transvaal which we christened
as Limpopo after the 1994 watershed democratic political dispensation. It is
interesting that the colonisers sometimes fought amongst themselves such as
the Anglo-Boer War.
But what is sad about all the wars between the colonisers and the indigenous
people led by the traditional leaders was that, in some instances, the colonizers
were able to divide our traditional leaders. In South Africa, the system was
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started in Natal where the Shepstone system of divide and rule was perfected.
Legitimate Kings and Chiefs were disposed and replaced by the puppets
appointed by the colonial administrators. This particular development had
profound effects on the political, social and economic systems that were
implemented by our Kings and Chiefs. Traditional forms of justice were disposed
and replaced with the magisterial system, while the hybrid communal and
subsistence traditional mode of economic production was replaced to suit the
exportation of our resources through various laws such as the Poll Tax and the
formation of reserves which forced many tillers of the soil and breeders of the
livestock to leave their homesteads and seek employment in mines, kitchens and
other forms of degrading occupations that destroyed the traditional way of life.
The formation of the Bantustan or homeland system and the passing of the
various related laws such as the Pass Laws, Influx Control Laws and others were
the last attempt in South Africa to obliterate the traditional forms of leadership
and the institution of leadership itself. However, one of the reforms that the post1994 democratic government initiated was the restoration of the institution of the
traditional leadership. As we are all aware, the present government undertook
extensive consultation processes, which led to the passing of legislation that
restore the dignity and the legitimacy of the institution of traditional leadership
such as the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act as amended
on a number of occasions and the National House of Traditional Leaders Act.
The importance of these laws lies in the establishment of a legally recognized
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traditional leadership framework through the establishment of councils from the
Kingship to chieftainship including community representation in these traditional
council structures. We all know that with the exception of the Gauteng Province,
traditional leadership is represented from the lowest to the highest legislative
structures in the country; from local councils to provincial and national councils
through the legislated concept of the house of traditional leadership. The post1994 democratic government showed its faith in the traditional leadership
institution by appointing the, Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and
Claims, the Nhlapo Commission, to undertake a comprehensive consultation
process in order to address disputes and establish authenticity within the
traditional leadership institution. The most unique element of the Nhlapo
Commission is the built in mechanism of appeal on its recommendations.
Traditional leadership plays an important role as custodians of our South African
cultural heritage. This includes the preservation of heritage sites, and the
transmission of cultural practices. I hereby invite our traditional leaders to work
closely with my department as we decolonize of our heritage. We need to
mobilize our communities across the board to play a meaningfull role in Arts,
Culture and Heritage programs. This momoth task cannot be achieved with your
participation and we dare not fail otherwise history will judge us harshly.
Currently the National Heritage Council is mainstreaming liberation heritage to
map the National Liberation Heritage Route.
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The profound role played by
traditional leaders will find expression in the narratives which will be a product of
the current National Research Programme. Key in this effort is the consultative
nature of this process, the Provincial Summit which will be held in this province at
the end of this week will focus on the social appreciation of the legacy of the
national liberation struggle, the global significance of the South African liberation
struggle which deserves to be part of world memory. Our struggle has set the
standards with regard to the achievement of the agenda on inter-racial and intercultural tolerance and achievement of peace through collective efforts of the
progressive forces.Our policy framework on living heritage has been enriched by
multi-sectoral views across society.I invite our traditional leaders to participate
actively in rolling one of the most critical programs emanating from this policy
which is role of living treasures.In essence this is about tapping on knowledge
wisdoms bestowed on these living treasures as we continue to build
new
consciousness our our youth.
Cultural tolerance and respect are at the heart of our Bill of Rights, and are
necessary elements to ensure a multicultural democracy. These values are part
of the system of traditional leadership, where respect for another’s opinion is
expressed in the traditional lekgotla. And traditional practices are based on a
value system that includes respect for self, respect for elders, and respect for
others. This ensures gender equity, the application of differing roles ascribed to
women and men, the role of the eldest son or daughter in maintaining the family,
and the application of customary law. Traditional customs constitute “a cultural
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complex that encompasses language, naming and classification systems,
resource use practices, ritual and spirituality”1.
Our legislation says that “heritage belongs to the people”, and that Government
is the custodian thereof. Yet, traditional and customary practices to maintain a
heritage site are not always incorporated into, or utilized alongside western
methods of preservation. The expressions of traditional art forms in painting,
beadwork, cloth designs, and basket weaving, in newer designs both for fashion,
jewelry and interior designs for economic empowerment, has survived due to the
traditional cultures that have been taught to successive generations. However, in
certain cases, the international treaties unwittingly become stumbling blocks for
traditional culture, because, as the status of especially a heritage site becomes
international, the traditional practices are exchanged for more western
management practices. The 1990’s multi-national organizations such as
UNESCO saw the need for the understanding of, and use of traditional practices
in ensuring the maintenance of heritage sites.
With the advent of cultural tourism, traditional cultural practices can be at risk of
exploitation, and of becoming a tourist show devoid of all the history and
reasoning which makes the particular practice important for the community or
nation. However, as mentioned above, the adaptation of, for instance, traditional
1
Linking Universal and Local Values: Managing a sustainable future for World Heritage. A
Conference organized by the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO, in Collaboration
with the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, 22-24 May 2003, p 10
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beadwork,
or
print-making
through
innovation,
ensures
the
economic
sustainability of that practice.
In conclusion, I would like to appeal to our kings and chiefs to continue working
with this democratic government in the delivery of services to our communities
and in safeguarding the cultural heritage, customs and traditional practices that
were bequeathed to us by our ancestors.
I THANK YOU ALL
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