Bayeeethe Ngwenya!! Ndabezitha,
Mbuduma! Nqaku,
Sgwegwe SakoBingweni!!!
SikwiKomkhulu lakho namhlanje, sizoVuyisana nani, singuRhulumente woMbutho Wesizwe, uANC;
His Majesty King Makhosonke II of Amandebele
Ladies and gentlemen
One hundred seventy two (172) years ago, on 16 December 1838, a war of resistance was fought between AmaZulu gallant warriors (under the leadership of King Dingane) and Voortrekkers (led by Andries Pretorius) near the Ncome (Buffalo) River.
On this day thousands of our great and great-greatfathers and brothers were left for dead during and after a heroic battle with white colonialist tyranny defending their land, property and people against foreign onslaughts in the face of heavy firing launched from very big and heavy canons.
Three thousand and odd of our combatants were left lying on the ground and some flouting on the Ncome River, a river they normally used to wash and swim and even propose girlfriends when fetching water.
The Ncome River, the white men declared, became Blood River and that part of our country was hurled into political strife; and was open to arrogant and endless demands for more land and cattle by the colonisers.
However, on the same day, forty nine (49) years before today, and exactly hundred (100) years after fatal defeat in the Battle of Blood River, a glorious army of the people, uMkhonto Wesizwe was born.
It is on this day, at dawn in 1961, that a pamphlet was drawn and distributed with encouraging and heroic message …. “The time comes in the life of any people when there remain two choices: to submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We will not submit but fight back with all means at our disposal in defence of our rights, our people and our freedom.”
With no formal military training and background whatsoever, our cadres of uMkhonto Wesizwe, managed to account for hundred and thirty four (134) acts of sabotage that caused minor and major damages to the apartheid state machinery and property; and marked a significant contribution for the guerillas who carried them out, hence the people of South Africa, whom the act was on their behalf and freedom.
These two events epitomised the age of turmoil and revolution in the history of the noble struggle for liberation in South Africa and a militant expression of ‘war cry’ against a system that treats the ‘brotherhood of man’ as an illegal doctrine, outlawed, banned, censured, proscribed and prohibited.
These events characterised an organised and systematic reaction against a system where white minority power rested on the most heavily armed and equipped military machine in Africa; and where effective and civilised effective democratic channels to peaceful settlement of the land and race question have never been explored and tried by the then ruling white elite.
It is also on this day, after three hundred years of resistance and bloodshed, that the democratic state led by the African National Congress (ANC), the Peoples’ Movement, that in 1995, that we declared this day, a Day of Reconciliation.
It was fifteen years (15) years ago when the ANC and the democratic movement took this position in the spirit of promoting reconciliation and national unity inorder to cement the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society which became a legitimate mandate of the 1994 democratic breakthrough.
This was a matter of principle on the part of the ANC and the people of the Republic; and determined to use such principle a as ‘an art of war’ against an arrogant cult of race superiority and of white supremacy which is embedded in our lifetime, ‘a babalass’/hangover from the dark days apartheid colonialism, a relic of an age which everywhere is dead or dying.
We know that some apologists inside and outside of our borders still harbor such tendencies by continuing to provide moral whitewash for the conditions which our people lived under and still living under today.
Today, South Africa and her people should pause and pay a fitting tribute to our common ‘history of opposition to domination, a history of protest and heroism; and a history of refusal to submit to tyranny’. The 1994 democratic breakthrough is an honour to our great heroes, the great warriors and nation builders like King Shaka, King Moshoeshoe, King Hintsa, King Silamba, Chief Bambatha, King Dingane, Chief Nyabela, Chief David Witbooi of the amaNama and many more.
We are inspired, more than ever before, King Makhosoke II Mabena has taken to himself to epitomise our forefathers in their struggle to unite their people.This annual gathering of delegates headed by headmen and women from various constituencies in the villages and townships is an emulation of the conduct of our great-great martyrs who stood by their people; come rain or sun ….. Bayeeeethe Ngwenya!! Ndabezitha; Mbuduma!Nqaku; Sgwegwe SakoBingweni!!!
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is said that, in the ancient history the powers of the kings were modified by its delegation to the councillors, and thus, even in our rude and crude state, we as a people had realised the important principle which in more civilised societies is comprehended in the saying that “The King can do no wrong.” It means that, in practice councillors are responsible for any mistakes that occur in the governance of the people, and not the King.
It is earnestly to be hoped that in the development of his people, King Makhosoke II Mabhena, will ever bear this in mind and not think that His Majesty, as Councilors are, or can be their rivals, but that he will regard them as what they really are – their servants and protectors.
This approach of annual izimbizo will continue to cement relationships between Royal Family and its subjects; and bear sweet fruits for the people Ndebele Kingdom. The reports tabled in the annual imbizo on the successes, challenges and the wayforward are a testimony to sound relationship that should exist between the Royal Family and its people.
I am impressed by the carefully selected wise words for the King in his response when dealing with issues raised by the people and the way he channeled the people’s aspirations and expectations. That is a clear and unambiguous vision for the year ahead.
We must, together on this day, pay homage to Ingwenyama Mabhoko and Ingwenyama Makhosoke II for their part in formation and consolidation of Contralesa through its 20 years of existence.
You and your forefathers; and people chose to share the agenda rooted in the democratic traditions of the liberation movement, the ANC that took to task the colonial and apartheid machinery that nearly destroyed the socio-cultural influence and political authority of ‘traditional leadership’.
The developmental state afforded itself an opportunity to provide space and resources for traditional leadership to contribute meaningfully in the development policy in particular; and society in general.
It is important, therefore, that all traditional leaders form part of the transformation trajectory of the developmental state guided by the principle of democracy and human rights.
Traditional institutions are a very important element of the South African society.The strategic perspective shared by many traditional leaders, has emancipatory intentions that seek to defeat exploitation, poverty, diseases, and focused attention to broader social change.
Ladies and gentlemen
Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) has identified a need for grassroots development of sport and recreation.It did this to ensure that all South Africans, especially in rural and far-flunked communities participate in sport and recreation without prejudice.
Mass participation and schools and community sport ensures representativity in sport and recreation and at the same time ensures that people who are left out of the mainstream are integrated in order to grow and comply to qualify with requirements of the national federations through community clubs and teams.
The ongoing facilitation of training people especially youth on administration, coaching and technical officiating would be intensified, including training in Basic Sport Administration and team management.
This approach will be encompassed by building new sport and recreation facilities where they do not exist and renovation of the dilapidated and even the provision of playing equipments to the people as to ensure mass participation and healthy lifestyles.
All these programmes for them to succeed, a strategic co-operative governance model will be needed through the co-operation between SRSA, provincial sport departments, municipalities, councilors, traditional leaders, sport federations and sport councils.
Sport and Recreation can play a major role in developing a caring society through involving as many people as possible in sport and recreation whilst at the same time imparting life skills in the minds of participants.
A sporting nation enhances participation on healthy programmes, nurture discipline and promote healthy lifestyle which will then result in a reduction of abuse, crime, violence, rape and stereotypes.
Hence, the key is to put sport, tradition and culture in the equation for ‘change’ and that change can in turn be interpreted as to stand for ‘development’.
Therefore, the importance of cultural, educational and sporting experience is evident in the lack of human development characteristic of socially isolated children and youth.
The process of culture and sport is embedded within the context of our family.The family has primary importance in shaping young persons’ attitudes and behaviour towards sport and recreation, because it provides the context in which the first and most long-lasting intimate cultural and sporting relationships are formed.
While the family offers the young person intimate cultural and sporting relationships, the school offers more objective cultural, educational and sporting relationships.
School is a social institution, it tells you about the skills of interpersonal interaction, learning to share, to take turns, and to compromise with your peers.
It is in this context that through sport and recreation, we unleash the potential of our intelligentsia.
I thank you!
