Deputy President Paul Mashatile: Tshivhase Day celebration

Programme Directors, MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya and Mr Rendani Sikhwivhilu;
His Majesty Mailausumbwa Thovhele Vho-MPK Tshivhase;
All members of the Tshivhase Royal Council;
All members of Tshivhase Traditional Council
All Traditional Leaders Present;
The Executive Mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Councillor Dowelani Nenguda;
South African Communist Party Representative, Cde Tinyiko Ntini,
Representative from the Queen Modjadji Royal Council, Kgoshi Gabriel Rasebotsa;
Representative from Bapedi ba Marota Royal House, Her Royal Highness Queen BapeManyaku Thulare Hlapokgadi ‘a Phaahla;
Chairperson of Vatsonga Machangani Royal Unity, Her Royal Highness Hosi Dr Nwamitwa II;
Muimeleli wa Masingo, Thovhele R.L. Davhana;
MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs, Mr Basikopo Makamu
All Citizens;
Ladies and gentlemen,

Ndi Matsheloni! Avuxeni!
Allow me to begin nga uluvha; Kha ri gonye luaname. Ndiri Tshiulu Tshamadini, Mbolome, Mailausumbwa wa lothe la ha Tshivhase, Thovhela Midiyavhathu Prince Kennedy Tshivhase.

It is truly an extraordinary and humbling experience to have the immense honour and privilege of finding myself in the presence of your majestic and awe-inspiring presence.

The feeling of being able to sit under the magnificent shadow cast by your regal and illustrious figure is nothing short of a remarkable and unforgettable moment.

As someone who holds the utmost respect and admiration for esteemed Traditional Leaders, I approach Your Majesty with the utmost humility and reverence, fully cognizant of the honour bestowed upon me, to address this gathering while His Majesty lends me his esteemed ear.

Today, we commemorate and reflect on the life of His Majesty Mailausumbwa Rasimphi "Phiriphiri" Frans Tshivhase, a life-changing event with multiple significances.

I am aware of His Majesty's historical background, but today I was astounded by the sheer number of speakers who have explained the significant contributions made by this illustrious figure in laying the foundation for the democracy we enjoy today.

His Majesty believed that the apartheid government was immoral and rejected it until he met his untimely death. 

Moreover, he held the belief that people of all races, black and white, were on an equal footing and that they should be respected on an equal basis.

His heroic deeds of resistance against the “betterment schemes”, which followed the passage of the 1936 Native Trust and Land Act, remain a shining star in our people's anti-colonial and apartheid struggle.

The elders amongst us will recall that in the 1950s and 1960s, resistance to betterment was combined with popular struggles against the Bantu Authorities Act.

We learn from another hero of the struggle against apartheid, the recently departed Vho-Pandelani Jonathan Mudziwa Makhado that the betterment schemes “never worked in Sibasa district because people refused to reduce the number of their stock or livestock and continued to plough their fields as before”. This was due to the principled leadership of His Majesty Rasimphi Tshivhase.

As we all know, no oppressive power rewards those who oppose its ways. And so it was that in November 1946, His Majesty Rasimphi Tshivhase was stripped of his powers, officially removed from the crown, and ultimately banished to Moeletswane in the Northwest and Ermelo in Mpumalanga.

The enduring impact of his recollections of fortitude and opposition to oppressive laws remains palpable, especially within the contemporary context of South Africa, a nation he has not personally experienced.

As part of his remembrance, we must spread the word about his many achievements and his undying devotion to his people. It would even be proper if we could have his statue in some of our towns as a way of honouring his legacy.

He was very generous. He would offer his livestock to the sick who were hospitalised in Tshilidzini, Vhufulwi, Siloam, and even Elim Hospital, which was outside of his territory.

Another tale about him that has always intrigued me is the one in which he would buy Minwenda, which is a type of traditional clothing, for elderly women who happened to be in the shop without anticipating receiving anything in return.

It is important that we reciprocate his kind actions towards one another, especially now when we are faced with so many challenges in our country.

Our country needs individuals like Mailausumbwa Rasimphi who exemplify selflessness and a willingness to provide assistance to those in need without seeking fame.

It is true that when an individual decide to help others, regardless of the size of their contribution, they are actively contributing to the betterment of another person's life and eventually the community at large.

Vhathu vha hashu, this occasion is also a Dzunde in which we weed out the overgrowth of forgetting in our individual and collective national memory.

It is an occasion to remember our history, which is critical for any people because history is a navigational beacon for any nation.

According to Edmund Burke - a philosopher, it can be observed that history serves as a substantial source of enlightenment, as it provides valuable lessons through examining the mistakes and weaknesses of humanity, enabling the acquisition of knowledge for the future.

Therefore, as a nation, we must comprehend our ancestors' journey, learn from their mistakes, and gain inspiration from their strength. Without this awareness, we cannot escape our tragic history. We may, in fact, end up perpetuating that past.

In honouring the navigational role of history, we are enjoined to ask ourselves how His Majesty Rasimphi Tshivhase, the esteemed member of the Order of Luthuli, would have responded to today's challenges.

What would his posture be towards land reform, the overall socio-economic transformation of the country, and relations with one another and neighbouring states?

As a descendant of Makhado who continued on the patriotic commitments of his ancestor, I am certain that he would have said that the land must be equitably shared amongst those who work it.

As a member of the South African Communist Party, he would have said that the economy must be transformed such that no child goes to bed hungry, that no one dies because they cannot afford doctor's fees, and that all children must go to school and teachers must rise to the occasion.

He would encourage the peaceful coexistence between South Africa, her neighbours, the continent, and the rest of the world.

He was totally opposed to tribalism and would work at all times to encourage that tribalism be killed and forever buried. This is because he understood the need for and importance of national unity in the pursuit and realisation of national tasks.

In his honour we must never allow our differences to divide us; as a matter of fact, we must embrace our differences and learn from each other.

We must strengthen the unbreakable bond of togetherness that, like glue, holds us together. This incredible force comes from the heart of our shared identity and goes beyond all boundaries and barriers.

It helps us create a space where everyone feels welcome and equal. We must rise above social differences and treat each other as equals, recognising the natural worth and value that each person brings to our vibrant communities.

Not only does this deep sense of unity give us strength and resilience, it also shapes how we interact with each other, make decisions, and set goals, eventually leading us to a better and more peaceful future.

Because of his appreciation of united action, His Majesty Rasimphi Tshivhase would also not accept that the people in their majority should be terrorised by a few criminals, even if these work in cahoots with a few rotten apples within the police service.

He would tell the people to organise themselves against the criminals without, of course, taking the law into their hands. He would certainly urge us to root out gender-based violence, which disproportionately affects women and girls.

Addressing gender-based violence is a complex issue requiring multi-faceted responses and commitment from all stakeholders, including the government, civil society, citizens, and traditional leaders.

As traditional communities, we should never allow gender-based violence to be perpetuated in the name of our culture and tradition.

We must protect and defend our children, young people, and women who are vulnerable to discrimination, violence, drug abuse, high suicide rates, alcoholism, and other syndromes associated with poverty.

We must unite to address the issues that threaten our society. We must collaborate to combat unemployment, HIV/AIDS and TB epidemics, inequality, and lack of access to land for farming.

In addition, we must address the exclusion of rural communities from the rest of the world in terms of communication and information exchange due to limited access to information and communication technology services.

To achieve this objective, it is necessary to make planned and direct investments in the infrastructure networks of rural areas so that people have access to essentials like clean water and sanitation, electricity, and roads that connect them to places of employment, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

In this regard, I would like to commend you as a community for your Solar Streetlights Technology Project, which was initiated in Tshilapfene, one of the villages here in Ha-Tshivhase, in collaboration with Intal Power Trading, BEKA Schréder, Muelekanyi Technical Services, a non-profit organisation, the University of Venda, and the Thulamela Local Municipality.

This initiative was put forward as an intervention to develop rural villages by introducing new digital technologies that will be used to prevent crime, particularly against women and children.

It is also the first of its kind to use solar energy to light up the rural community in the Vhembe District. In this regard, we appreciate the leadership of His Majesty Mailausumbwa MPK Tshivhase and Khosi Muelekanyi Tshivhase.

It is also encouraging to know that women participated in the planning and execution of this initiative.

As a government, we want to see the same development in other rural areas. We would like to see the construction of new smart cities in remote rural areas, with the goal of developing new economic hubs comprised of retail, mixed-typology residences, lifestyle estates, high-quality office and business parks, and logistics.

Our aim is to build cities where people will live and socialise in the same areas where they work without having to travel a distance. 

We have already witnessed the development of such cities in KwaZulu-Natal, and we want to urge investors in this area to consider working with us in identifying areas in rural communities to build such developments.

We are also concerned about unequal service delivery in our communities. Since assuming office in March this year, I have been delegated by the President to assist in the roll-out of the District Development Model through effective coordination of the different spheres of government, which will improve the functioning of municipalities and address community concerns.

The District Development Model enables all spheres of government to plan better, budget for, and implement projects and programmes. Communities can undoubtedly benefit from more integrated service delivery interventions as a result of this commitment and collaboration.

In this regard, I also want to work with you to increase the rollout of service delivery in your communities by identifying bottlenecks that hamper service delivery.
Since the democratic transition in 1994, we have made substantial progress towards our promise of better service for all through the delivery of essential services such as housing, education, healthcare, and basic infrastructure.

According to the recent Census Report, the percentage of households with access to electricity has increased from 58 per cent in 1996 to 94.7 per cent in 2022.

The number of people older than 20 with no education has significantly decreased, and the number of people who now have grade 12 has more than doubled since 1996.

A large proportion of our children are now in early childhood development centres. We still have work to do to ensure that all eligible children attend early childhood development centres.

The presentation shows that people’s housing circumstances have improved, with almost 90 per cent of South Africans now staying in formal housing.
Moreover, access to clean drinking water, for instance, has improved for many communities; according to the Census Report, access to piped water decreased from 19.7 percent to 8.7 per cent in 2022.

Whilst we acknowledge that the overall delivery and implementation of some of our commitment has fallen short, we remain committed to partnering with all stakeholders in order to achieve our goals and usher in an equal and prosperous country, where no one, no community will be left behind.  

In conclusion Mailausumbwa Vho-Rasimphi and his generation secured for themselves a place in history for their personal sacrifices in national service. The question for the current generation of young people is: for what deeds will you enter the pages of history?

As you think about this question, which you must constantly do, you should think about the words of Martin Luther King Jr. who said: “If a man has not found something worth dying for, he is not fit to live."

I thank you/Ndi a livhuwa.