Sihlalo weNdlu yeNkosi – Nkosi Ngangomhlaba Matanzima,
Sekela siHlalo weNdlu yeNkosi – Prince Burns-Ncamashe,
Kumkani zezwe lakowethu,
Amalungu alendlu yeNkosi,
Abaphathiswa bamasebe kaRhulumente,
Sihlalo weKomitikuxazulula amabango obukhosi,
Indwendwe ezibekekileyo,
Manene namanenekazi,
OwasemaBheleni umntana uyazibulisela ngale ntsasa kuni nonke, esithi Molweni,
Sihlalo namalungu abekekileyo mandibulele eli thuba nisinike lona, lokuba size kuhlomhla kumkhomba-ndlela wenu walonyaka, xa sivula le ndlu ibekekileyo ngokusesikweni,
Ndinqwenela ukuhlahla indlela yentetho yam ngokucaphula intetho eyenziwa nguMongameli we African National Congress noweSizwe uMongameli Jacob Zuma ngendima yeeNkosi,
UPresident Zuma uthe xa ebevula indlu yeeNkosi kazwelonke ngo 2010.
“… traditional leaders never wanted to be spectators as their people fought for freedom. Many have always been active freedom fighters, as also evidenced by the wars against dispossession and colonialism. The sacrifices of some of our traditional leaders, made in defence of this land and of the dignity of our people are immeasurable.”
Today I am citing this extract because of the deep respect and admiration we have for many outstanding and illustrious traditional leaders of this province such as King Hintsa, King Dalindyebo, noo Nkosi uMaqoma, ooNkosi uMakana and many more, whose heroism remains an inspiration to many of us today.
I also know that many of today’s traditional leaders are also following on the footsteps of these giants in confronting today’s challenges of under development, poverty, unemployment and inequality.
Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, izenzo zala magokra, zabanefuthe elathi losulela inxenye yenkokheli ezalwisana norhulumente wengcinezelo. Ezinkokheli ziquka izithwalandwe zeNobel Peace Prize nezingabantwana begazi uNkosi uAlbert Luthuli noNkosi Dalibhunga Mandela, abagalelo labo lingaphikwa bani ekufumaneni kwethu inkululeko. Siyifumene inkululeko kwiminyaka eli-19 edlulileyo, senze inako-nako ukuguqula ubomi babantu basekhaya xa bebonke.
Chairperson we meet in this august house today, a week after I delivered the State of the Province Address, which I believe many of you were able to get through your attendance of the ceremony, or radios or TV and other means. I would therefore not bore you with rehashing what I said but just give a broad overview of its contents.
We talked about the creation of job opportunities for over 150 000 people in our province, most of whom were young people through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and other targeted interventions as well as private sector investment.
We gave progress reports on the rollout of the massive infrastructure development programme of government which costs in excess of R130 billion as a stimulus for broader societal investment in development as we continue to enhance the logistics framework and integration of the Eastern Cape economy into the national economy. What we celebrate more is the centralisation of the Eastern Cape in the national programme led by the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC).
We have begun in earnest to restore the education system and have demonstrated the turning of the tide through matric and Annual National Assessment results. A similar impact is beginning to be felt in the health sector with the increase in life expectancy and decline of maternal and child mortality rates.
We are concerned that only one third of the students who enter grade on – complete their matric within a stipulated time. We need all people and especially Chiefs should join hands in ensuring that the two thirds that falls by the wayside within the schooling years – and resolve challenges such as early teenage pregnancy, “ukuthwala” and the general poverty.
We have made progress in reducing poverty by over 12% since the advent of democracy, moving from 69% poverty rates to 57%, but I am sure we share the same view that it remains completely unacceptable that 57% of our people still leave in poverty.
This challenge is endemic due to structural causes with roots located in spatial development disparities of the colonial era and the deliberate disinvestment in the Eastern Cape by the apartheid government as a punishment for its role in the liberation struggle in this country. We have concluded an integrated anti-poverty strategy for the Eastern Cape which seeks to get all hands on deck to fight this scourge and we will launch it next week.
Access to electricity has improved from 38% in 2009 to 72% of 1.6m households in the Eastern Cape by 2012. This did not come as a fluke, but through our partnership with the House of Traditional Leaders and ESKOM which is expected to result in accelerated provision of access to electricity.
Eskom has invested over R10 billion for improving energy security particularly in the Eastern regions of our province over the next seven years and we take our hats off in honour of the work we did together.
Right on the heels of this progress report it is absolutely crucial to also flag progress made in a number of targeted areas where, as the provincial government, we solidified our partnership with the traditional leadership institutions.
We are, for instance, continuing with the construction of offices and facilities for traditional councils and in the 2013/14 financial year, we are going construct and renovate 4 additional traditional councils. These are: Amandela in Bizana, Lindinxiwa in Willowvale, Ngqusi in Centani and Amagqunukwebe in Middledrift.
During this term of government we have constructed and carried out renovations to 16 traditional councils throughout the province. I am also pleased to report that construction and renovations at the Jongilizwe College are going on smoothly. Government set aside R25 million which will be used over the MTEF period to conclude the work that is being done at the college.
We believe that this college, for sons and daughters of traditional leaders, will play an important role in molding and sharpening the leadership skills of future traditional leaders.
Kuyafuneka sithulele umnqwazi inqkubela eyenziweyo kumabakala aliqela, abandakanya ukuguqulwa kwamabhunga abantwana begazi (transformation of Traditional Councils) okusele kugqityiwe kumabhunga angama 96% kwezingama 240 jikelele kweliphondo. Ukuze bonke beve mandiyitsho ngesilungu eyokuba – the traditional councils of the Eastern Cape are setting the tone for government and private sector in affirming the position of women in leadership, as women representation in 1 444 members of Traditional Councils stands at 52%.
This is a very progressive step that demonstrates the commitment of traditional leadership to change that will bring a better life for all our people, because in these councils the role of women in development and delivery of services is more pronounced. A lot more still needs to be done, keep up the good work. We expect that this representation will translate to better quality and quantity of development interventions.
Siyalincoma negalelo elenziwe yiKomiti yamabango obukhosi ekhokelwe nguGqirha Nokuzola Mndende – umaDlamini - esele igqibe izikhalazo ezili 15 ekulindeleke ukuba sense isibhengezo ngazo kule veki izayo ngoLwesibini. We trust that these matters, which continue to sidetrack our focus from the core mandate of our people of sparing no effort to improve their lives, will be laid to rest once and for all.
We know that there is a long way to go to reach the desired targets, but I wish to appeal to all involved in these disputes to manage them decently so that the work of improving people’s lives can continue.
Kaloku bantwana begazi uninzi loluntu lwethu luhlala emaphandleni, luhamba imigama emide lufuna amanzi, kwinxalenye yabo ukucofa iqhosha edongeni kulayite umbane kuseliphupha. Ngabo kanye ekufuneka sibakhulule kumakhamandela endlala, ukungalingani nophuhliso olungekho mgangathweni.
Izakuphela ke loo nto ngoku kuba uMongameli uyisele iso elibukhali yena buqu into yokuba luqiniswe uphuhliso lwamaphandle ethu. Siyanicela sinibongoza kengoko ukuba nikhulule imihlaba ngeentliziyo ezibeka phambili uphuhliso loluntu phambi kweziqu zethu ukuze ilali zethu zizuze kobubucwane buzayo bukhokelwe ngurhulunte ka-galel’ebhayini i African National Congress.
Chairperson, I must applaud some of our traditional leaders for heeding the call we made last year for them to stop stifling development by demanding personal rewards. There are still those who have joined in the bandwagon of accumulating personal wealth at all cost, those who deliberately direct development to benefit their own families instead of the entire community.
Kwabo benza lomkhuba sithi noko hlehlani kuwo, kuba silindele kuni amahlakani okuqala ukukhalimela nokunyhasha lenkohlakalo siyibonayo yorhwaphilizo oluzama ukutsiba ilitye-likaphungela.
Sihlalo obekekileyo, masiphinde siyikhalimele into yokungenelela kweqhosha-elingenamthunja ekuchitheni isidima nesithozela sezindlu zobukhosi. Imali ingunobangela woluxhwithwano kubantwana begazi endicinga ukuba luzishiya iinkonde, imilowo nemilond’ekhaya ixhelekile ezintliziyweni. Ndiyayivuyela into yokuba sizakubabhalisa bonke abantwana abaphuma kwindlu yokukhosi nganye. Sizakuthi siwabhengeze la magama kwi-Gavernment Gazette ukuze sinqande oovuk’engceni abakuthi qhaphu-gqi kwakusweleka umntwana wegazi ophetheyo sebesithi ngabo iindlalifa amakazifake ebukhosini urhulumente.
We can ill-afford these irrational fights during this last year of the fourth democratic government when we will also be simultaneously celebrating 20 years of freedom in our country. This freedom we are enjoying was fought and paid for with the highest price a person can give by scores of our past and present heroes.
We therefore urge you to be active participants in municipalities to ensure that when the development projects are conceptualised, funded and rolled out in your communities, you are an integral part of such positive changes. The fact that you now participate in council meetings should further embolden you to discuss with enthusiasm all issues that affect your communities.
One of the issues we urge you to discuss with vigor and find lasting solutions on, is the death of initiates in our province. When we should all be celebrating the practice of our old age custom, we find ourselves every season having to deal with a dark cloud of deaths that is claiming lives of our young people.
Parents who send their children to initiation schools live in fear because they do not have the slightest clue of whether their children will come back alive from the mountain. We commend the growing levels of cooperation to confront this scourge, which threatens the identity of the people of this province. Government has decided that the committees that cut across departments must meet immediately and work to prepare our communities for effect management of the period of ulwaluko.
We must solidify all our efforts to avert further deaths of initiates in our province by ensuring that all sector departments including: Education; Health; Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Social Development and Special Programmes, as well as Local Government and Traditional Affairs sit regularly in a structured manner to plan for the initiation seasons.
This kind of work should not be done only during the initiation seasons, but should be on going to ensure that we achieve zero deaths of initiates in our province during each season.
Chairperson, also linked to what I have just said is the moral decay that is another sticking point we believe our traditional leaders should assist us more in fighting. This has engulfed our society and is made worse by the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. We must be fight to reclaim our children, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers.
Kukwakho nomnye umkhuba wokuxhatshazwa kwamakhosikazi namantombazana osuke waxak’isizwe. We must stop breeding rapists, as well as women and child-abusers and also we must close ranks to leave no place for these culprits to hide within our communities. They must be brought forward to face the full wrath of the law.
This morning we signed a commitment before entering this house to double our efforts to improve and protect children’s rights in response to a march by children who brought a petition for our attention. We must ensure they we improve prevention and protection of these vulnerable sectors of our society.
The elderly people who have been left by their children alone in rural areas are victimized and brutally killed by people who drink excessively in the shebeens which are themselves growing like veld fires even in rural areas. Masibuyeleni embo ke siqinisekise ukuba siyaluqinisa ukhuseleko lwamakhehlekazi nabantwana ukuze izigilamkhuba zingabinathuba lokwenza unothanda kubo.
We know that what we are asking of you requires resources and we are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the recommendations made by the National Task Team on the remuneration and provision of tools of trade for traditional leaders. In the meantime though, the provincial government will continue to assist traditional leaders with tools of trade so that they can perform their work without any hindrances.
As we rollout the projects and programmes that I mentioned earlier we cannot lose sight of another area that has a huge potential in our province, the land, particularly this year of marking the terrible introduction of the 1913 Land Act that began a systematic impoverishment of our people through land dispossession. I know very well that our traditional leaders are very passionate about the issue of ploughing the land.
Kuyafuneka siyichaze ngobunjalo bayo ingxaki yabantu namhlanje ekudala siyikhalimela - ubuvila. Uluntu lwanamhlanje luyonqena ukulima nangona obona butyebi bethu busekusebenzeni umhlaba. Masicengane kaloku luntu lwasekhaya sibuyele kundalashe, silime umhlaba ukuze sigxothe ikat’eziko. Akusafuneki nokuba sibophe inkomo kulemihla, urhulumente uyazikhupha iteletele imbewu, nezichumiso ukuzama ukucendisana nathi siluluntu ukuze sifumane isiqalo. Isidima sethu sikwaxhomekeke ekuzisebenzeleni, siyeke ukuxhomekeka koo-HEKE.
I wish to extend an earnest appeal to everyone among traditional leaders and their institutions to take the issues I have raised seriously. We must take our collaboration to a higher level so that together we can ensure a better life for all.
I want to assure the people of the province – there is no such a fight we will always raise concerns about those not doing well - we referred to Municipalities - let me assure you that there is no dispute between leaders of the provincial government and are united in encouraging those doing well and criticising and assisting them improve.
I declare the 2013 session of this august house officially opened.
I thank you!
