Ngqanga neentsiba zayo. Sihlalo, mandiqale ngeyokuqala. Umbutho wesizwe, i-ANC, unyawo zabezolo, uyaluxhasa olu hlahlo-lwabiwo- mali. Ndiyitsho loo nto ndicacelwe ukuba emileyo ziyayichamela, ehambayo ziyayikhonkotha. Into emnandi kuzo yakudlula ziyahamba ziye kulala, zilindele elandelayo. [Kwaqhwatywa.] (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Mr J M MATSHOBA: Protocol is observed. Chairperson, let me start at the beginning. The people's party, the ANC, the organisation that has been tried and tested, supports this Budget Vote. I'm saying this with the clear understanding that if you are not successful, people laugh at you. However, when you are successful, they will discourage and be jealous of you. If they see that their discouragement is unsuccessful, they give up and proceed to the next victim. [Applause.]]
In the precolonial and apartheid era, the indigenous people of South Africa lived peacefully under traditional authority. The authentic traditional leaders were the custodians and champions of values of ubuntu, human solidarity and justice.
It is under the leadership of the legitimate kings and queens that there was the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources such as land for food production and fields for grazing of livestock and recreation. Under the wisdom of traditional leaders, sharing the harvest among all in the community was standard practice in order to foster the fundamental value of human solidarity.
The peaceful coexistence of South Africa, at that time, was interrupted by greedy foreign aggressors who sought to dispossess us of our land and destroy our livelihood. Traditional leaders waged determined resistance wars to protect the territorial integrity of their nations against invasion and inclusion by colonial and apartheid missions. Their relentless efforts left a permanent mark and history is blessed with the footprints of those who propelled the liberation movement to honour and advance the cause of freedom.
A quick look at the colonial history of our land reveals the admirable struggles by our forebears, led by kings, during the frontier wars - Hintsa, Maqoma, Sandile, Nxele and many others in the Eastern frontier. It would be a mistake for me not to mention the victorious army of the people led by King Bambatha during the Bambatha rebellion and King Cetshwayo's decisive defeat of the British forces in the now celebrated Battle of Isandlwana.
It is an inescapable reality that the chiefs' traditional authority played a fundamental role in the defence of the people of South Africa against foreign and settler aggression. Some paid the ultimate price, while others were dethroned by the colonial regime.
It is also inescapable that the kings' chiefs played a pivotal role in founding the oldest liberation movement on the African continent. One is reminded of the leading role played by Chief Albert Luthuli.
This is a history that Africans treasure. It is a reality that continues to inspire many traditional authorities to play a constructive role in lifting the black majority out of abject poverty. Therefore, it is encouraging that in our democratic dispensation the role of traditional leaders is debated and considered seriously in order to contribute to the fight against the enormous challenges in South Africa.
Ngenxa yobukrelekrele bombutho olawulayo, i-ANC, kwinkomfa yayo yowe-1969 eMorogoro, kwezinye zezindululo zayo yaqinisekisa ukwakhiwa kombutho wabahlali i-SANCO, le sithetha ngayo ngoku. Oko kungumyalelo wokuba iinkosi nombutho wabahlali mabasebenze kunye. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Because of the intelligence of the ruling party, the ANC, at the conference in Morogoro in 1969, it ensured in some of its recommendations that the civil organisation Sanco, which is our subject of discussion today, was formed. This was an instruction that there must be co-operation between traditional leaders (chiefs) and civil organisations.]
The democratic government under the ANC adopted a progressive Constitution in 1996, which recognises the role of traditional leadership institutions in Chapter 12. The Traditional Governance Framework Act, Act 41 of 2003, provides the progressive framework for participation of communities in traditional council. In this regard, the Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000, emphasises the importance of community participation, as is stipulated in Chapter 4.
Masibalungise abantu malunga noMthetho oYilwayo ojikelezayo. Kukho uMthetho oYilwayo ojikelezayo weeNkundla zeeMveli ongekagqitywa yiPalamente, nosele uneengxwelerha eMpuma Koloni kumasipala iNkonkobe nowaseNyandeni. Xa uyijonga le nto isibuyisela umva kunyaka we-1922 phantsi korhulumente waseBrithani oweza neengongoma ezintathu, endingazi kuba sazichaza ukuba zazimi njani na. Kwakhona, ukuba uyajonga, iBlack Authorities Act of 1951 section 28 yayiqinisa olu calucalulo olwaqalwa ngowe-1922. UMgaqo-siseko wesizwe awucalucaluli bantu ngebala, ngendawo yokuhlala, nobuni. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Let us correct people regarding the Bill that is being discussed by the stakeholders. The Traditional Courts Bill is being discussed and has not yet been finalised by Parliament. It already has victims in the Nkonkobe and Nyandeni municipalities in the Eastern Cape. If you look at this, it takes us back to 1922, when we were under the British government, which came with three points and which I will not dwell much on. Again, if you look at the Black Authorities Act of 1951, section 28, it strengthened apartheid - which started in 1922. The country's Constitution doesn't discriminate against people in terms of race, the places where they live and gender.]
It is important to know that over 24 million of the people of this country reside in rural communities and therefore this democratic government cannot ignore this population. The Freedom Charter stipulates that the people shall govern.
Loo nto ithetha ukuba abantu baya kulawula. [That means the people shall govern.]
It is on this understanding that the late Comrade Chris Hani insisted that nobody owned the people, but rather that the ideas must find resonance in the interests of the people. The ANC-led government, under the leadership of President Zuma, established the Department of Traditional Affairs as a fully fledged department in order to foster the support of traditional leadership institutions, including the Khoisan leadership.
This department has the fundamental responsibility to ensure the establishment and support of the traditional institutions such as traditional councils at local level, as well as provincial and national houses of traditional leaders. This responsibility is paramount because these institutions are not mere symbolic structures, but must execute a developmental mandate.
Minister Comrade Baloyi, the Traditional Affairs cannot remain a programme within the Department of Co-operative Governance. This is diminishing the status and funding of this important department. Traditional Affairs has a service delivery mandate and therefore needs resources to execute that function and reposition the cultural leadership landscape under a developmental agenda.
The successful colonial and apartheid regime sought to destroy African unity, as well as the institution of leadership. They did this by removing legitimate traditional authority and installing oonomgogwana [illegitimate traditional authorities.] The people know their legitimate leaders. The establishment of the Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims was a correct decision by our government. The outcome of the commission must be accepted not by traditional leaders themselves, but by communities. It is therefore strange that certain traditional leaders are rejecting the findings of the commission and are challenging these findings in court. Whose courts are these?
The traditional communities have not voiced their disapproval of the findings of the commission, but the leaders whose legitimacy is questionable have done so. This reflects signs of placing personal agendas and greed above the needs of the people.
The commission must move swiftly to settle all outstanding claims of the chiefs in various provinces and the question of the Khoisan communities. The provincial offices of the commission must be capacitated to deal with the outstanding claims in order to restore dignity to the rightful traditional authority and to bring development to their communities.
We live in a world in which capitalism and its ugly tendency of commodification are on the upsurge. Traditional leadership has the duty to restore the values of human solidarity and ubuntu. It is against this background that the question of whether traditional leaders should be symbolic or developmental arises.
The answer is clear that traditional leaders, under democratic rule, must be progressively developmental. The role of traditional leaders is not merely a symbolic or ceremonial role of presiding over the meetings and functions and thus enjoying privileges and benefits, but an active progressive developmental role. [Time expired.] Ndiyabulela. [Thank you.] [Applause.]