SPEECH BY COGTA MEC JACOB MAMABOLO AT THE AMANDEBELE
NDZUNDZA SOKHULUMI – KING NDZUNDZA COMMEMORATION IN
BELFAST (SUNBURY) – EMAKHAZENI LOCAL MUNICIPALITY
05 SEPTEMBER 2015
MEC - SPEAKING NOTES
ikosi MP Mahlangu we sizve samandebele Ndzundza Sokhulumi
All Kings present
Kgosi K.C Kekana (Amandebele Ba Lebelo)
Snr Traditional Leaders from Limpopo and Mpumalanga
Izinduna eziphethe endaweni ezihlukeneko
MEC: COGTA in Mpumalanga
MEC: Arts, Culture and recreation in Mpumalanga
Hon Mayor of Emakhazeni Municipality
Hon Executive Mayor of Enkangala Municicipality
Hon Executive Mayor of City of Tshwane
Hon Speakers from all municipalities present
Hon Councillors – Mpumalanga and Gauteng
Traditional Councils
Mpumalanga Provincial House of Traditional Leaders
The Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders
isizve sa mandebele
All protocol observed
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This day is marked to celebrate and commemorate the greatest Ndebele leaders of the
Ndzundza Traditional communities from Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga as we
annually come here in Belfast. To the Ndebele community, this site has a great historical
and spiritual significance, which is valued by people because the Ndebele Nation are able
to identify and distinguish themselves from other nations.
I would like to thank Ikosi Mahlangu for inviting me in this historic event to celebrate with
all of you the Amandebele Nation to this commemoration event. The month September
marks a huge responsibility over Isizve amAndebele, because it is a month that brings
everybody to Belfast in remembrance of their forefathers.
This commemoration is significant as it celebrates the evolution of the Ndzundza nation
and also imparts to the youth valuable information about their history and their heritage.
We have noted as a Government that heritage symbolizes a very important aspect in the
history of South Africans and as government, we are entrusted with a responsibility and
mandated to support the Traditional leadership institutions in their endeavors.
Program Director, let me indicate that we are here to celebrate the event, but as well to
give support to the traditional institutions that support the rich history and heritage of our
people. While government and the communities value the commemoration event, the
impact of the event could not be realized without identifying a project that will sustain and
benefit the whole community.
Program Director, when government visited the area during 2014, the government
supported the Ndzundza Traditional community by endorsing the request made to initiate
a project i.e (Erection of a Statue – Heritage Project) since King Ndzundza has great
significance feature in the Ndebele Nation. We have set up a committee to facilitate a
process towards the erection of the statue of this great leader. As government we need
to facilitate and encourage interest in the development of this area which will in turn lead
to addressing the three important South African challenges i.e unemployment, poverty
and inequality.
We are here today to exhibit and display the commitment we have made to the
communities at that time, showing clearly that as government of Gauteng, we are the
government that listens.
As we celebrate this very special day to Isizve Sa Amandebele Ndzundza Sokhulumi,
I want all of us to silently acknowledge that it is through the language and the cultural
practice that makes us distinct and exist even today as isizve.
I must say; Program Director that this is the time where the amAndebele Nation
celebrate different things including achievements made by their heroes and heroines and
contributions made to redressing past inequities. Heritage celebrations educates, it
deepens our understanding of society and encourages us to empathize with the
experience of others. South Africa is a rainbow country and to South Africans heritage
day is the perfect time to showcase that or better yet do things that help preserve our
cultures and history.
This event came at the time where our indigenous knowledge system is of critical
importance to our children. Let me appeal to you, that we continuously educate our youth
about our ancestors and teach them our history, family trees because it is significantly
important to know your origin as an individual and embrace that.
I am pleased to share with you that when I engaged the Traditional Council, I was told
that they are very pleased by the commitment made by government which continuously
support the Traditional Leadership Institutions. Let me site a few resources provided
annually, the Training and Capacity building programs conducted to the Traditional
Council’s and their communities e.g. Financial Management, Induction Program, Project
Management, IDP Training Program and Record Management.
Ndabezitha; Our Department will continuously support events that support culture and
heritage in these communities and using that platform as a teaching space for our children
about ourselves and our heritage. ”it is also important for this children to know that “iKosi
Umkhambi Petrus Mahlangu” is a son of Sokhulumi Josias, who is a son of Mkhambi,
who is a son of Quthiwe, Quthiwe who is a son of Dlambisa……Dlambisa who is an
ancestor of Sokhulumi.”
As a Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Gauteng, we are
at the heart of service delivery to our communities, and in delivering these services we
are always faced with limited financial resources to address the significant needs in the
province. It is in this light that we encourage communities to partner with government in
creating employment opportunities, ensure food security and alleviate poverty in
traditional communities....because by working together we can achieve more.
As an MEC for this department, I therefore want to task our senior Traditional leaders to
prioritize initiatives that will serve to develop the communities they lead and make
meaningful contribution in improving the lives of the poor, with these words; I would like
to appreciate the dedication and commitment made with other projects such as
“Akwande Food Garden” (food security).
I am fully convinced that your influence as leaders to your respective communities will no
doubt unlock all the barriers of development, including developing the capacity of
traditional council members, addressing the limited resources through leveraging support
from other institutions and facilitating partnerships.
When we leave this place today, let it be a commitment to all of us to strive to improve
lives of our people, enhance the relationship amongst others with the municipalities, rural
and traditional communities, ward councilors, community development workers as well
as ward committees.
At this auspicious occasion, I would like us to appreciate and take note of the commitment
made by the Traditional Leaders during the Initiation Schools winter seasons. Our
Traditional Leaders played significant roles in ensuring that there is zero death reported
in Gauteng by establishing the monitoring teams facilitated by Prince George Mahlangu
from Ndzundza Sokhulumi Royal council who worked tirelessly to ensure compliance.
Gauteng still has many challenges and as government, we still commit to ensure that the
trend is maintained and even improve.
Indeed as a nation we are justified to celebrate that we have a vibrant, dynamic and
ever changing society. Society that acknowledges its uniqueness and diversity through
heritage and cultural practice.
All of us, Let us use this event to provide a platform for traditional institutions and its
communities as custodians of culture and to promote the importance of our culture, which
embraces our language, traditions, beliefs, legends handed down from one generation to
the other.
Programme Director, this month we celebrate heritage month in which we celebrate our
history, where we come from and celebrating our differences in the country. It is these
differences that make our country unique. In other provinces amasiko is celebrated just
like we are celebrating it here today, I am appealing to all the dignitaries present here
today, that let us together revive traditional ways, norms and values which are no longer
celebrated in this time and age wherever we are. It is our duty to make these institutions
recognised, respected, known and visible even in an urban province like Gauteng.
Your message as amakhosi you should always embrace the democratic South Africa
which is informed by our Constitution without loosing sight over the important role played
by traditional leadership institutions. I must say the institution was and still is the pillar of
leadership for our people before and during the democratic dispensation. It is evident
that the traditional leadership institutions are playing a major role in all areas of leadership,
be it advisory role, or traditional justice system which seeks to protect the rights of people
and ensuring that righteousness prevails in rural communities.
Ndabezitha Mahlangu… it is a humbling experience to have been part to this
commemoration today, safe to share with the audience that we therefore acknowledges
the value systems entrenched in the traditional institutions.
I cannot conclude without encouraging once again our youth, to take opportunities that
avails itself through formal education that you must add value and make a difference in
your communities. You, the youth, are the leaders of tomorrow, in your households, in
your villages, in your communities and places of work and thus must take pride in your
traditions. The youth of our time are challenged by many problems that exist in our society
like the abuse of drugs and alcohol, abuse and HIV/AIDS. It is critical that ceremonies
like this ones, begins to be used as an educational platform to teach our youth the
principles of ubuntu.
Equally, as a department which is responsible with the building of sustainable
communities, it is also important to mention that Ikosi should take a leading role in
encouraging community projects that will assist in alleviating poverty and create
employment for our youth.
We are grateful that our liberation was a product of a massive struggle that brought
together great minds and drew overwhelming support from our people, one of those
people being umkhulu wethu uNdzundza Sokhulumi.
Finally, I would like to remind the communities that 2016 is the Local Government
Elections and therefore would want to encourage all people especially the youth from
different communities to register to vote with the IEC because voting “is a democratic
right” and we should all be encouraged to exercise that right.
In view of the above, I want to conclude by saying communities need us as leaders, so
let us be visible, let us be committed, let us work towards a common goal of the
development of our communities. Bayethe!!!!