SPEECH BY PREMIER
His Excellency Ingwenyama Makhosoke wesibili
Chairperson of the National Council of State Inkosi Mzimela
Council members of the House of Traditional Leaders
Minister of Arts, Culture Science and Technology
Dr Ben Ngubane
Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen.
Let me take this opportunity to thank the Royal House and the people of Manala most humbly for having invited us to this occasion
Two years ago we met at this very site to launch the Komjekejeke Heritage site. In an age when humanity and our culture are threatened by countless hazards, it gives one hope to know that we still have time to celebrate our heritage.
As I look around I realise that not far from here, in this same plains, our forebears gave every inch of their being in defence of their dignity as a people.
Despite being out-gunned they laid down their lives so you and me could be free. The laid down their lives in defence of their dignity, their land and their freedom. From the plains of KwaTlapiso and Embilaneni, Ingonyama Silamba Mabhena fought valiantly against colonial and missionary domination.
But allow me to step back a little nation is the nation that emanates form the Nguni's where all the Nguni Nations originated. It originated from Chief Ndebele. It went to settle at Drakensburg Mountains. Ndebele's son by the name of Mhlanga is the one who went across the Tukela River and came over to Transvaal.
He came to settle in the area called Randfontein (eMhlangeni). It was during the year 1550 to 1580. He begotten a son called Musi. Musi left the area together with the Ndebele Nation from Randfontein (Skosana), Ndzundza, Thombeni (Kekana), Rhwaduba, Dlomo and Sibasa.
Since the year 1580 to 1620 Musi's son were residing in the areas surrounding Pretoria and were under the Supervision of their Father.
Musi did and his sons were then scattered. Ndzundza went to the East, in the area called KwaSimkhulu, Thombeni went to North, Rhwaduba went to North-West. Sibasa went to Venda, to the town, which was named after him. Dlomo returned back KwaZulu in Natal. Manala settled in the areas of his forefathers in the surroundings of Pretoria.
Chief Sibindi was ruling the Manala Nation during the year of 1817. The Ndzundza were ruled by Chief Magodongo. Mzilikazi then arrived whiles running away from the spear of Shaka. He was a refuge under the Ndebele and eventually called himself a Ndebele, yet he was just hiding this criminality. He killed Chief Sibindi together with Chief Magodongo an he ultimately took the Ndebele Nation to captivity and went to Rhodesia with them.
The researches are alleging that the Ndebeles came together with Mzilikazi yet it is unfounded. That is our history, as we know it. It is only in a free South Africa that we can begin to rewrite the lies dished out at schools during the colonial and apartheid years.
It is precisely because of that colonialisation and the violent acquisition of land that the people of Komjekejeke were forced to move - disrupting their lives in ways some of us will never understand.
In rewriting our own history and reclaiming our historical sites, we need to restore the dignity of the institution of traditional leaders. We cannot – yes, we dare not do otherwise.
And so, we meet, as descendants of valiant fighters, in a different setting, in a different era, to plan for peace and not war, to promote unity and not division, to forge a common nationhood and not exclusive privilege.
But then we meet not as victors to dance to the cries of war; we meet not to celebrate over any vanquished people. Our trophies are neither skulls nor precious booty.
We meet to assert the humanity of persons one to the other; to seek unity and reconciliation; to set shoulders to the wheel in building a better life for all.
I feel truly humbled to be part of the celebrations at Komjekejeke, - the place of the fertile soil. We are mindful that the journey to where we are today has not been easy. But all of us persevered because we knew that what we had set out on was the right road.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we move into the African Century our priorities must bring an end to the poverty of our people. Our century must be one in which the divisions of the past must truly cease to exist. As we reconstruct South Africa and reclaim the whole country for all, we break down all the divisions and attitudes of the past. We do so while freeing everyone form the last vestiges of oppression.
Freeing everyone from hunger, disease and want. It is our task to make the most of our freedom, to entrench it in our new epoch as a fundamental and a permanent feature of our very existence.
Ladies and gentlemen, the challenges facing all of us are to contribute to a complete and rounded picture of this celebration and others we will hold.
Certainly that complete and rounded perspective cannot be contained only in political speeches, song, dance, poetry and in the construction of monuments.
An integral element of the celebration is that we should feel the greater need, now more than before, to educate ourselves and the world about what amalgam of historical events has given birth to our collective human experience.
It is only by understanding this that we can be forewarned and forearmed about the challenges that lie ahead in our effort to construct a better world. Only this experience can prepare us to be a nation of sages, statesman and stateswomen who can inspire others and help solve problems besetting our world.
The challenge to all of us is to ensure that we celebrate in all our languages. We must develop a way in which our languages can, through the process, further grow and flourish. So that our experience can be recorded in many different ways, many different voices. Contributing to a national convention without anyone of us feeling we are not of the collective experience.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are heartened by the partnership between the business sector and the organizers of the celebrations.
We are also pleased that this initiative will help, among other things, to raise resources in order to attend to the plight of, and to empower the children and the disabled as well as to preserve our heritage promote our environment and consciously water the tree of peace in our land.
These celebrations, this cultural festival must add value to our task of forging our nationhood. It should help us to display to other nations of the world, as well as to ourselves, our capacity to give humanity what is proudly the product of the composite effort of all our people.
A few years ago all the data of human experience was in the horizon, now it within our grasp. Let us use it to build the high road to destiny. South Africa must become a beehive of activity; a nation at work to build a better life. Those who came before us laid the foundation for the better life we are all working for. For that we will be forever grateful.
This, however, is not an occasion for us simply to congratulate ourselves. There are also challenges we must face. Our resolve to preserve our culture and keep our heritage sites for our children and their children remains unshakeable.
The people of this province must be involved in whatever we do here today. They should rightfully see this celebration, our culture, as their heritage to preserve for future generations. Local and provincial government must also be involved. Tourism forms part of our strategy for sustained economic growth and development.
Already more than a million tourists visit our province annually. There are many beautiful and interesting places on our continent and elsewhere. We must therefore adopt a professional approach, upgrade skills of employees and market ourselves aggressively.
If approached within the framework of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, these efforts will make a significant contribution to bringing a better life for all.
Not only will tourism play its part in generating national economic growth. More directly, it will help improve the living standards of rural communities.
Our success as a nation depends, in no small measures on the conservation of our heritage sites and the preservation of our culture similar to what we are doing today.
It demands conditions in which every sector of society can join hands to make a unique treasure accessible to our nation and its visitors, and to ensure that future generations will have the same privilege. Let us all become part of a living monument in celebration of life.
Finally, ladies and gentlemen, in partnership with all sectors of society, we must continue to give absolute priority to HIV/AIDS programmes.
We must continue to mobilise popular awareness of the seriousness of the epidemic. All of us must realise that the epidemic is not only a health issue, but also an economic one. It is an epidemic which we ignore at our peril.
In conclusion, let me once again express my heartfelt gratitude to the organizers of these celebrations for the invitation extended to us to share this fresh breeze with you.
As we gather to honour King Silamba, I am aware that the Manala-Mbongo people are glad to have taken that first step towards reclaiming their history. We are confident that Ingonyama Makhosoke II, like his forefathers will rise to meet these challenges with wisdom.
We wish him good health and strength to carry out his duties with courage and conviction. It is now my pleasure and privilege to unveil the plague.
I thank you.