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25 October 2004

Your Royal Highnesses,
Honourable Chiefs
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me take this opportunity to thank the organisers of this important and significant conference for inviting me as a guest speaker.

Allow me, as your humble subject, as well as a loyal Government representative, to remind everyone present here of one of the most inspirational speeches I have ever heard: a speech that publicly and unapologetically acknowledged the pioneering role the traditional leadership played against imperialism, aggression, and racism.

Who would forget the then Deputy President, and now our President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki’s wisdom words when he acknowledged that he was “the grandchild of the warrior men and women that Hintsa and Sekhukhume led, the patriots that Cetshwayo and Mphephu took to battle, the soldiers Moshoeshoe and Ngungunyane taught never to dishonour the cause of freedom”.

As I stand in this podium, I am feeling an immense pride that the words of Thabo Mbeki never fell on deaf ears of makers of this country’s legislation. Our Constitution, Chapter 12 to be precise is recognising that traditional leaders are public representatives in the construction and development of our country and the continent as a whole.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my pride is not a naïve one. We all know that this conference is taking place in the midst of war, poverty, and instability in our African continent. Therefore, people must not be delusional and think that this conference is just about reclaiming and reactivating our cultural heritage through colourful ceremonies and rhythmic dances.

The challenges of this Conference are to diligently and practically recall the traditional ways of resolving conflicts in our respective different African communities. I am quite sure that, as African society from different communities, we have the equivalent of what we call here in South Africa, “Imbizo”. These were traditional tribal conferences where conflicts had always been solved.

It is imperative then that traditional leaders must be in partnership with all the developmental and revival initiatives and instruments that seek to bring peace and stability; that seek for economic development, and that seek for co-existence in Africa and the rest of the world. For example, peace and stability is an objective that needs to be a shared responsibility between the AU and the broader African Traditional Leadership.

This understanding must be promoted so that initiatives of the African Union (AU), New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and Pan African Parliament can have effect not only on developing and empowering us as Africans, but also on effectively maximising efforts of unity. There must be a common or fundamental principle of humanness/ubuntu that guide all our African leaders, be they constitutional (modern) or institutional (traditional) in the interpretation of all-African social institutions.

I think this aspect is one of the real challenges that face our traditional leaders: how to negotiate with the wind of drastic change as we navigate through a globalised world. This challenge is always accompanied by scepticism and unreasonable comments by some people who wrongly claim that traditional leadership is mutually exclusive from democracy.

African traditional leadership is governance of the people, by the people and of the people. All traditional Kings, Chiefs, and Queens are accountable to their subjects. Having said that, African traditional leaders must also acknowledge that tradition is not only a monument of our past, nor is it just an icon of our identity. Most importantly, traditional leadership is a way of life as we encounter and confront globalisation.

I would then, in conclusion, immediately suggest that the theme of last year’s Panafest Conference which was “African Traditional Leaders: Partners in the Realization of the Goals of the African Union” must be relevant yesterday, today, and tomorrow, because it is a perfect theme that seeks to synergise the democratic constitution and the traditional institution of African leadership.

May this Conference be as vibrant as well as successful as we all seek for a prosperous, peaceful, and stable governed Africa.

I thank you.

Issued by: Ministry of Defence
25 October 2004