Hon. Premier TSP Makwetla's Address to the Third Ordinary Sitting of the Third Democratic Mpumalanga Provincial House of Traditional Leaders
23 March 2007, Nelspruit
Honourable Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi M.D Mthethwa
Members of the National and Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders
Esteemed Majesties, Kings and Chiefs of our people,
Your Excellencies, Traditional Leaders from sister Provincial Houses of Traditional Leaders,
Bayete! Zingonyama naMakhosi
Esteemed Guests,
Comrades and Compatriots,
Ladies and Gentlememan
Chairperson, allow me to preface my address to this House by addressing you in person, and convey my deepest condolences to your office and yourself personally, over the untimely death of Mr Dlongolo, your driver and aide, last week Saturday. Crime has once again cut short a valuable life, and robbed us of an important community member and a beloved individual from yet another family which is today overcome with grief. To the Dlongolo family, we pledge our heartfelt sympathy at this difficult moment in their lives. May the grace of our Creator offer them comfort eternally.
Chairperson, we hope the community of Piet Retief will take up this challenge never to succumb to those among us with nefarious plans, by ensuring that the perpetrators of this murder are brought to book.
Chairperson, it is a privilege once again, to be hosted by this esteemed House on the occasion of the s itting of the Third Democratic Mpumalanga Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. This occasion takes place against the backdrop of the commemoration of the South Africa 's Human Rights Day, two days ago, reminding us of the immense collective responsibility we have as a nation to work towards creating a caring society in which all citizens enjoy human rights to freedom, democracy, security, human dignity and equality.
This house is a fitting reminder of the legacy bequeathed on us in that struggle by your fore bearers, through the glorious resistance wars against colonial conquest and subjugation. We salute them for their gallant contribution for sowing the seed that gave birth to a democratic nation, with rights equally enjoyed by all the citizens of our land.
The opening of the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders signals another critical moment in the continuing struggle to bring needed development to create possibilities for our communities to progressively realize their social and economic rights. It is a call to all of us to recommit to yet another programmatic year that will propel us forward with urgency and speed required, to emancipate our communities from poverty, deprivation and underdevelopment.
As government, we recognize the pivotal role that our traditional leaders have played in strengthening development efforts in communities under their jurisdiction. For us, it is essential to provide the necessary space and support to traditional leadership institutions, to contribute to strengthening the system of local government through systematic and structured participation in development and service delivery initiatives of government. As we indicated on previous occasions, our commitment to supporting the institution of traditional leadership in our democratic system of governance is unwavering.
In the 2007/2008 financial year, we will conclude the process of transforming the Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders to assume its autonomous status as a legislative entity to enhance its performance of the oversight role in terms of the legislation. In consultation with the Chairperson, we have already identified the building that will house the Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. Within two months, Members of the House will move to their new premises.
In the context of the Five Year Strategic Agenda for the support of institutions of traditional leadership developed by the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG), the province seeks to reaffirm its commitment to providing the necessary support required by these institutions . As government, traditional leaders are key development partners in the design and implementation of programmes aimed at addressing poverty and underdevelopment in areas under traditional leadership jurisdiction.
Work on the establishment of traditional councils in line with the Constitution as well as the national framework on traditional leadership, is at an advanced stage. Draft guidelines have been tabled and will soon be consulted with all stakeholders as well as our traditional leaders. To make quick advances on this front, there is a need to deal with information management challenges so that the integrity of population statistics within the boundary and jurisdiction of each traditional leader is validated before the voting processes commence. We appreciate the support from Statistics South Africa and the Department of Land Affairs to help us resolve outstanding issues in this regard.
Chairperson, I am pleased to report that government has allocated an amount of six (6) million Rand to support to the process of establishing traditional councils, including those from Bohlabela. In addition, government has allocated seventeen million, four hundred and seventeen thousand rand (R 17,417,000) over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period to provide for the recognition of our Headmen (Amaduna). This will enable us to begin to pay allowances to our traditional leaders who are at village level.
To give meaning to the involvement and participation of traditional leadership institutions in service delivery, Local Houses of Traditional Leaders have been established in the three Districts. The three Local Houses of Traditional Leaders in the three district municipalities were elected during the month of February 2007. The process is underway to finalize the provision of accommodation and support infrastructure required for the effective functioning of Local Houses of Traditional Leaders in Districts.
We welcome this positive move, as it will contribute a great deal to creating the environment that properly coordinates traditional leadership input into integrated development planning processes in municipalities, service delivery initiatives in traditional communities, as well as regulatory initiatives impacting on areas under traditional leadership jurisdiction. We would like to congratulate our traditional leaders who have been elected to serve in the Local Houses and wish them well in discharging their responsibilities. Our profuse gratitude goes to Chief Magistrate D.D Ngobeni for assisting in the establishment of Local Houses. With the leadership commitment and support from the Districts, we are thrilled by the prospect of improved partnership between municipalities and institutions of traditional leadership.
As we enhance the governance of traditional leadership institutions, we should recognize the obligation to open up space, and provide support for women leadership roles in our traditional communities. We salute and appreciate the current prevailing spirit demonstrated by traditional leaders in our country to genuinely embrace and promote the appointment of women royalty into traditional leadership positions. We must not support the view that that African culture and customs cannot be celebrated and defended through the leadership of women.
We note with appreciation that all women traditional leaders have been assigned leadership roles in the recently established Local Houses of Traditional Leaders in the Districts. Our representation in the National House of Traditional Leaders by one of our women traditional leaders is a source of inspiration for the recognition of women leadership in institutions of traditional leadership.
In asserting women leadership roles, we must take this opportunity to make the point that it is equally important to combat the general abuse of women and children. Our traditional leaders should entrench social systems and values that accord dignity and respect for women in order to stop women abuse under the pretext of African culture. In defending the rights of children, the elderly and people with disabilities, traditional leaders should cooperate with government, the police and law enforcement agencies to expose perpetrators of atrocities so that they bear responsibility for their criminal actions.
We are encouraged by the contribution of traditional leaders in implementing outreach programmes to hospitals, prisons, schools, old age homes, child-headed families, and people with disabilities. We believe that experiences gained in the interaction with the poor and vulnerable sectors of our society will enrich government's interventions targeted at these communities. The visible role that traditional leaders play in monitoring the implementation of projects in their areas will assist government in identifying and correcting bottlenecks and poor service delivery where these instances occur.
We thank the traditional leaders for their contribution to addressing the ravaging HIV/Aids pandemic. It is remarkable how they have taken a keen interest in acquiring information regarding the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Reports from various departments show that there is widespread collaboration in sharing valuable information through joint workshops and seminars with the provincial house of traditional leaders. These collaborative efforts must culminate in the fostering of strong partnerships within our communities to galvanize all stakeholders into collective action to combat and contain the spread of this epidemic. We must do everything in our power to demonstrate our commitment to respect the right to life.
Chairperson, we recognize that one of the interventions required to support traditional leadership institutions is capacity building to empower traditional leaders to participate with greater impact in development and service delivery initiatives in areas under their control. Working in partnership with the National House of Traditional Leaders, Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority, SALGA and DPLG, it will be crucial to identify capacity development needs and design programmes to improve the capacity of traditional leadership institutions to executive their functions as required by the legislation.
The capacity of traditional leadership institutions should be enhanced to support government programmes aimed at promoting access to government services to rural communities, especially in remote areas. Government interventions to improve service delivery include the establishment of Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCCs) to create one-stop service centres for services such as welfare, police, health, economic services, agricultural support etc, the deployment of Community Development Workers to assist communities with services, and the deployment of mobile clinics in remote areas to make health services accessible to all. These government initiatives aim to improve integrated service delivery to create citizen convenience.
In delivering these programmes, it is crucial that government enlists and receives the participation of traditional leaders in the work of improving the lives of communities through these services. A healthy working relationship with ward councilors deployed in traditional communities is necessary to successfully facilitate development for the benefit of the poor.
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen, we must acknowledge that the most destructive form of economic deprivation has been inflicted upon the people who live in rural communities. As we work towards halving unemployment and poverty by 2014, we must recognize that the rural economy, where traditional leaders have jurisdiction, must contribute to the anticipated average 6% economic growth so that it contributes to much needed jobs and poverty reduction. It is therefore critical to think creatively about different ways of unlocking potential avenues for local economic growth in these areas.
All of us would agree that one of the defining features of traditional leadership is the land held in trust by traditional leaders on behalf of their communities. This land, if managed well, presents a huge opportunity for development. It presents, among other things, opportunities for attracting investors who can partner with their communities in development projects in areas under the jurisdiction of traditional leaders. In some cases, the old PTO (Permission to Occupy) may be sufficient. In other cases it may be necessary to allow long term leases and even title deeds in order to enable huge investments in the rural economy. As the rural economy increases its labour absorption capacity, it provides jobs for young people and stops out-migration to towns and cities for employment opportunities.
Chairperson, effective utilization of communal land also offers prospects for growth in agricultural output in rural economies. As we indicated in the State of the Province Address in February this year, government has prioritized land to ameliorate the plight of rural communities through scaling up the implementation of Masibuyel' emasimini to provide support to subsistence farming. Major agricultural anchor projects have been identified in key commodities such as macadamia, sugarcane, essential oils, and soya beans to ensure that we maximize the growth potential offered by these commodities.
In order to benefit communities in rural areas, traditional leaders need to identify niche areas of agricultural growth so that support could be provided through the government's Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), and other funding support initiatives. We see communal land as a strategic asset at the hands of traditional leaders for use to impact positively on unemployment and poverty reduction.
As the Province intensifies the implementation of the ‘Big Five' developmental flagship projects, the role of traditional leadership institutions becomes increasingly important in collaborating with government to facilitate development and access to services. These ‘flagship' projects respond directly to the socio-economic development needs of our Province.
It is common knowledge that some of the areas hard-hit by the lack of water services infrastructure are rural areas where the majority of our traditional communities live. The prioritization of the ‘ Water for All' flagship project to roll-out water services to all by 2010 will hugely benefit these traditional communities. It is, therefore, incumbent upon all traditional leaders to play a central role within municipalities in ensuring that the roll-out of these services proceeds without problems and reaches all the intended beneficiaries. For this to happen, community mobilization and participation is crucial.
Chairperson, it is anticipated that traditional communities along our flagship Maputo and Moloto development corridors will benefit from economic development initiatives that are intended to create jobs. In partnership with municipalities, traditional councils will need to engage proactively in matters of local economic development that impact on areas under their jurisdiction.
In addition to these initiatives, traditional leaders should take a leading role in supporting poverty alleviation initiatives presented through road infrastructure development and maintenance in their areas. The government's Expanded Public Works Programme responds to the need to create job opportunities in infrastructure development, and social development interventions, such as Early Childhood development and Community Home-Based Care. These are government initiatives that must be supported actively by traditional leaders in order to benefit targeted beneficiaries.
Honourable Leaders and Colleagues, our origin, identity, and our land is our heritage, and a sense of nationhood as a people. They are mediated through culture and language. Our culture, value systems, thinking, norms and traditions are inscribed in our languages. It is for this reason that we see the role of traditional leadership institutions as pivotal in the promotion of indigenous cultures and languages as well as the celebration of Provincial heritage to benefit present and future generations.
The implementation of the Tourism, Heritage and Greening Mpumalanga flagship project focuses on the elements of defining, properly recording, and preserving Mpumalanga 's heritage. It also prioritizes the ‘greening of the Province' through improving biodiversity conservation, sustainable environmental management practices, and protection of sensitive ecosystems, including sites of heritage significance. In turn, a green Province and its heritage will generate opportunities for the promotion of tourism in the Province, thereby contributing to tourism development and job creation.
As custodians of culture and heritage, traditional leadership institutions have a significant role to play in working with government to educate and mobilize communities on issues of heritage and sound environmental management practices in their areas. Traditional leaders should support projects that seek to showcase heritage and nature-based tourism experience for international and local visitors to the Province. Tourism in Mpumalanga is not only about Kruger National Park , but it includes an experience of fascinating heritage, culture and its people in every corner of the Province. The empowerment of rural unemployed people to participate in the tourism sector as tour operators and guides will contribute to the creation of job opportunities, especially in tourism routes and destinations located in rural and traditional communities.
Chairperson, one of the main issues raised at the meeting of the National House of Traditional Leaders on 24 August 2006 in Cape Town is the central role that the traditional leadership institutions need to play in moral regeneration programmes. Traditional leaders should promote moral values that encourage respect for human life and dignity, .discourage criminal behavior and the abuse of women and children, and promote responsible sexual behavior and choices for young people to stop the spread of HIV/Aids as well as other sexually transmitted diseases.
There has to be work towards strengthening the family unit as a basic constituent part of society. Building strong families in our communities will contribute to improved moral values in society as a whole. Traditional leaders should work with other organisations, including organised local government, religious bodies, women and the youth to implement moral regeneration programmes that promote social cohesion. We thank the traditional leaders for the collaborative initiatives that they have undertaken with government and its social partners in promoting moral regeneration. We are confident that these interventions will contribute to strengthening the moral fibre of our society.
Chairperson, we believe that the solid foundation for traditional leadership institutions to play their role in the democratic governance system of our country has been laid through sound policy and legislative instruments. What should occupy our attention now is the accelerated implementation of national and provincial legislative frameworks on traditional leadership as well as programmes that will advance growth and development in our traditional communities.
We should enhance the alignment of our strategic plans with the plans of the National House and Local Houses of Traditional leaders so that there is a shared vision and coordinated action and development impact towards improving the lives of communities.
On behalf of the government and the people of Mpumalanga , I wish this House well in the performance of challenging but exciting work ahead, and declare the Third Sitting of the Third Democratic Mpumalanga House of Traditional Leaders open.
I thank you.