Mahumani�Nkomo Heritage Culture Day, Limpopo
7 October 2006
His Excellency Hosi Mahumani and members of the Royal Councils,
Representatives of the Limpopo Provincial Government,
Mahosi from the other provinces,
The Executive Mayor and members of your mayoral committee,
Local councillors,
Citizens of Mahumani-Nkomo,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentleman,
Good morning and thank you for inviting me to this wonderful occasion.
The majority of our South African people are forced to work very hard
because of their social circumstances during the course of the week. Weekends,
holidays including their leave, are reserved to do work at home that they have
been postponing, or they spent this time performing other social functions or
family responsibilities such as funerals, building their homes, working in
plantations etc. Our people do not have time to relax or to visit some of the
lovely places like Mahumani-Nkomo heritage site, and other similar beautiful
places of our country.
Tourism to them is as foreign as seeing foreign visitors or they consider it
as something that is a privilege for those who can afford. The very same
workers, who do not rest properly, are expected to be productive at work and to
understand competition without an opportunity to travel. As we enter this
Tourism Month, we need to reflect on some of these issues and develop better
strategies that we can use to extend and expand the participation levels of our
people in these tourism initiatives in a way that will also benefit them.
Today's event affords our people an opportunity to share and participate in
celebrating the beautiful legacy of our traditional leadership that is rich and
spans many centuries. This legacy has created lasting bonds among Africans that
will continue for many years to come. Let me also say to this gathering, that
from time immemorial, African communities have derived unity, strength,
identity and a shared vision for a common future from their traditional
leadership. It is a system of government that has withstood both the test of
time and ravages of colonial oppression and remained stable until the present
day.
Gathered as we are, "united in our diversity," at the very place that will
forever carry the name of Mahumani-Nkomo, we must use this heritage and
cultural day to also commemorate and pay a fitting tribute to the mighty and
wise legions like Hosi Ngungunyane, Khosi Makhado, Kgosi Mampuru, Chief Shaka
etc, who fought against colonial rule. Other freedom fighters such as Anthony
Lembede, Chief Luthuli, Moses Kotane, Oliver Tambo, Solomon Mahlangu etc, whose
sacrifices brought us freedom and democracy. With their blood and sweat they
laid a firm foundation upon which we are building a nation, a South Africa that
truly belongs to all. I am indeed proud to be associated with this celebration
today.
Your Majesty, I am privileged to say that indeed as a people we have every
reason to be proud of ourselves and proud of our historic achievements during
our first decade of democracy. Central to these achievements is our resolve and
success in advancing our country away from its divided past, towards the
realisation of the vision of the Freedom Charter that, "South Africa belongs to
all who live in it, black and white."
However, as we move into the future we should take cognisance of the number
of challenges that still face our communities. These challenges still stand in
the way of a better life for many of our communities. Our communities are still
ravaged by unacceptably low levels of literacy, lack of basic services,
poverty, unemployment, an unacceptably high rate of crime and challenges of the
HIV pandemic.
All of these require our concerted efforts to wage an unrelenting war
against it with the same level of courage and determination that we fought the
apartheid system in this country. Just as we have conquered the National Party,
I believe we will conquer and defeat these new enemies.
As part of the government's non-negotiable decision to improve the lives of
all our people, I have committed the Department of Labour to also play a
leading role in this regard. As part of our initiative to address the issue of
access to our services by our rural communities, I launched service delivery
mobile units in Jane Furse, Limpopo, during September last year, to extend
services offered by our 129 Labour Centres throughout the country.
During the next three years, government will be rolling out major
Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) development
projects, aimed at growing the economy and halving unemployment and poverty to
benefit all our people. I have committed the Department of Labour to complement
these initiatives by rolling out projects for skills development in all our
communities. We are mindful of the fact that millions of our people were
marginalised and must be empowered to participate in determining the future of
their motherland. We are confident that millions of our people who could not be
motivated in the past to take up the struggle for their own improvement, are
today driven by the great urge to acquire education and enhance their skills
base.
Your Majesty, I know that as part of your efforts to uplift this area and to
make it a tourism destination of the future, you have a lot of interest in the
development of our people. I have looked at your proposal, and have requested
my Provincial Executive Manager and his foot soldiers, the employment and
skills development practitioners, some of them who are amongst your midst, to
come and talk to your subjects in detail about this proposal and to advise me
accordingly. We have supported you in a number of interventions and you can
count on our support especially on aspects relating to skills development.
His Majesty, allow me to also send a message to our young and old people
gathered here today. I want them to know that government is working hard to
improve and create opportunities for their future and that of the country. I
want you to help government in this regard. The scourge of HIV is threatening
our future in many ways. There is a simple and inexpensive way to reduce the
threat posed by HIV and that solution lies in your hands. Please change your
behaviour regarding matters of sex. Either abstain, or where it is difficult to
abstain, use a condom. It is said that in heaven the conversion of one sinner
is celebrated greatly. Likewise we would celebrate greatly if you will adopt
safer sexual practices. We would celebrate from the confidence that you will be
around to advance the course of South Africans and that of mankind in the
future.
I thank you.
For further information, please contact:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
E-mail: mokgadi.pela@labour.gv.za
Issued by: Department of Labour
7 October 2006
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
