E Molewa: Bahumagadi in Community Development seminar

9 November 2006

Baradisi ba rona
Baruti ba rona
Modulasetilo wa Ntlo Dikgosi Bokone-Bophirima, Kgosi M E Molopyane-Mabe
Bahumagadi botlhe ba rona
Dikgosi tsa rona, Amakhosi and Dikgosi le BoMadikgosi from other Provincial
Houses of Traditional Leaders
Dikgosi tsotlhe tse di re tsologileng mokgosi
Executive Mayor wa Mafikeng, Mme Mosa Sejosengoe
Ba gaetsho Ke dumedisa Ka pula

I am highly honoured to rise and say a few words tonight at this important
gala dinner for the Bahumagadi Seminar that the North West Province is
hosting.

I am tempted to say that our province remains one of the trendsetters in the
promotion and provision of support to our institutions of Traditional
Leadership; and we are way ahead in the implementation of the relevant
legislation, in particular the North West Traditional Leadership and Governance
Act that institutionalises and renders smooth the working relations between
government and our traditional leaders.

We are also extremely proud of the fact that our traditional leaders are not
only grounded in the communities they lead, but have continually shown their
genuine readiness and incredible will to assist in the development of their
communities.

It is safe to reiterate here that as Africans we are unique in the world for
having Traditional Leaders who see themselves fore mostly as servants of the
people, dedicated to creating a better life for their communities.

We are also heartened to note that the transformation of this important
institution of Traditional Leadership has continued apace since the Legislation
passed in our House of Traditional Leaders allowing among other things for 40%
of Traditional Councils to be democratically elected as well as the requirement
that 1/3 of these is women.

That is how we come to this critically important Seminar on the role of
Bahumagadi in the development of their communities. Certainly all of us here do
believe that Bahumagadi must take a lead in rural and community
development.

This is because eradicating rural poverty is one of the most critical
challenges facing government today. Despite a great deal of work already done
by government and other sectors since the dawn of our democracy, rural poverty
has continued to be a critical challenge.

This seems not related to the quality of development per se or anti-poverty
programmes in existence, but to a seeming failure to co-ordinate and mobilise
rural communities to participate in these programmes.

To fill this gap, and among other things, government has come up with a
number of interventions including the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development
Programme (ISRDP), which is aimed at responding to local needs and
opportunities as well as working in partnership with civil society and the
private sector.

Recently, government has also released a draft document on the "National
Programme for Creation of Small Enterprises and Jobs in the Second Economy".
The programme has a Five-Year time horizon and it is aimed at increasing job
opportunities for one million poor people living in rural areas or in informal
settlements outside big cities.

One of the programme's targets is to organise 1,5 million women in Self Help
Groups (SHG). It is borrowed from the Indian model of mass mobilisation of the
downtrodden women into entrepreneurship and economic growth, where in a period
of two years, India managed to organise 90 000 into SHGs with 7 000
enterprises.

Nevertheless, as we heard during the presentations to the Seminar this
morning, certain challenges still need to be addressed in order for Bahumagadi
to take the lead in this rural and community development.

These challenges include the fact that however progressive our current
Policy and Legislative Framework is, it still downplays the role of Bahumagadi
in community leadership and development.

We will therefore have to move with speed to address these pressing
challenges including social and cultural practices that overshadow Bahumagadi's
role in Traditional Governance; lack of structurally formulated forum for
Bahumagadi dialogue; lack of dedicated support for enhancing leadership skills
expected from Bahumagadi; limited exposure for Bahumagadi on business
opportunities; need for identification of potential as well as real limitations
on the authority of Bahumagadi to assert their legitimate authority, and the
urgent need for linkage for Bahumagadi to Traditional Council administrative
processes and management.

We believe that the fact that we have been able to delineate clearly and
precisely these challenges facing Bahumagadi in their envisaged roles puts us
at a better and advanced position to formulate collective responses and take
our province further in the building of a better life.

We hope that through this seminar we have together opened a necessary
discourse on women leadership within this important institution of Traditional
Leadership; and that delegates as well as all our royalty across South Africa
will engage in an ongoing Bahumagadi dialogue aimed at enhancing not only
Traditional Leadership wisdom and knowledge, but also the imperative of the
development of their communities.

I am therefore certain that today and for the entire duration of this
seminar, we have provided a critical platform for self expression of the
challenges and possible solutions to the developmental role of Bahumagadi.

I must stress that whatever solutions and determinations that result from
this seminar need to taken forward in greater co-operation with government,
particularly the Local Government as the coalface of service delivery.

We say in Setswana "Mmangwana o tshwara thipa mo bogaleng," and we know that
Bahumagadi understand this more than anybody and will translate their motherly
instincts into enhancing the social cohesion and moral development of their
communities.

Therefore together, through this seminar, I am certain that we stand poised
to redefine the roles and responsibilities of Bahumagadi in the institution of
Traditional Leadership.

Doing this will take us further in the construction of even more progressive
Traditional Institutions in the service of our province, our country and the
continent of Africa.

Let Bahumagadi build and strengthen our nation. Let them take the lead in
the development of our communities. It can be achieved.

I thank you once again for this opportunity to break bread with you as you
deliberate on these important matters of leadership and development.

I wish you a very successful Seminar on the role of the Bahumagadi in
Community Development.

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, North West Provincial Government
9 November 2006