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KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE JEFF RADEBE, MP, MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, AT THE ZWALIGUGI ANNUAL JULY COMMUNITY EVENT; TOMBO GREAT PLACE, PORT ST JOHNS, EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
 
                                                                                                             21 JULY 2017

Enkosi, mphathi nkqubo:
Ndiyabulisa kwiNkosi ephetheyo, Aah, Bakulule!
Umphathiswa, uNancy Sihlwayi
Ikumkani yesisizwe, Aah, Ndlovu yesizwe!
Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana, Aah Zanemvula!
Izithwalandwe eziphakathi kwethu
Umlisela nomthinjana,
Ndiyabulisa kuni nonke!
 
Kuluvuyo kum ukuba kulo mbiyozo woluntu lakwaZwaligugi. Ngelixa ndandilapha kulo nyaka uphelileyo, ndakholiseka kakhulu yintsebenziswano endayibonayo apha phakathi kweenkosi noluntu ngokubanzi.
The institution of Traditional Leadership is recognised by our constitution and traditional leaders have a very important role to play in our unfolding democracy.  As representatives of national government, it is not always possible for us to know the daily happenings in each and every village. We rely on traditional leaders for information.
Traditional Leaders are our first port of call when we want to know about the needs of the people in these communities. We work through them when we implement development programmes in the rural areas. Cooperation between government structures and traditional leadership is a vital ingredient for the development of rural communities.
It is a matter of pride that you gather here every year to commemorate the establishment of the Zwaligugi Traditional Council. The institution of traditional leadership is the repository of our norms and values. You are the treasure trove of our history, our customs and our value system. The values that we learn from a young age often inform our worldview as adults.
It is these kinds of values that produce some of the most distinguished leaders who are revered all over the world. We pride ourselves in having produced leaders such as O.R. Tambo and Nelson Mandela because they had the solid foundation of traditional upbringing. O.R. Tambo was born in Bizana, not far from here, and grew to become one of the most internationally acclaimed leaders in the political arena.  
A few days ago, the whole world was celebrating International Nelson Mandela Day, which honours the child of the Eastern Cape whose leadership style was modelled on traditional leadership. In his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, Madiba talks about how he observed the way the regent conducted community meetings in the Great Place eMqhekezweni. He adopted some of those leadership traits and applied them in his on leadership roles as he argues here:   
“As a leader, I have always followed the principles I first saw demonstrated by the regent at the Great Place. I have always endeavoured to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion.”
 
Although the jurisdiction of traditional authorities may be limited to a specific area, their role is no less important in the improvement of the people’s lives. Traditional leaders are in the coalface of the living conditions in the rural areas and they know the services that are lacking in their communities. For us to perform our duties optimally, we need traditional leadership that is fully conversant with people’s challenges and that cooperates with government structures at various levels.
Kubalulekile ukuba sisebenzisane ekulweni iingxaki zendlala, intswela ngqesho, kwakunye nokungalingani. Intsokolo ibonakala kakhulu kubantu bakuthi, ingakumbi abahlala ezilalini. Zingazilwa ezi ngxaki xa sisebenzisana. Ukuze siphumelele kufuneka intsebenziswano emandla phakathi kukarhulumente, osomashishini, abasebenzi kwakunye neenkosi.
Iinkosi zingasinceda kakukhulu ekusombululeni ingxaki zezemihlaba. Abantu abanamihlaba. Bafuna ukulima, bakhe imizi yabo, babenemfuyo ukuze bangalambi. Kodwa ingxaki kukuba abanayo imihlaba. Imihlaba yethu yathathwa ngexesha lengcinezelo. Apho kukho umhlaba khona ufumanisa ukuba akunamanzi. Akukho zindlela. Izikolo zikude. Kunqabe nemisebenzi. Kufanele sizilungise ezi zinto singurhulumente.
It is disconcerting that after all the wars of resistance that were fought over the land, now that the democratic government has instituted the land restitution process, over 90% of land claims are settled through financial compensation. This is a major setback in our efforts to ensure land redistribution.
Traditional leaders must continue with their role of instilling unity, social cohesion and nation building. We must form synergies between traditional leaders and government so that their communities can benefit optimally from government programmes. As the Minister in the Presidency, I am in a privileged position of playing the oversight role on matters that relate to service delivery and developments in the country.
We cannot carry out this mandate satisfactorily if there is no cooperation between the traditional authorities and the three tiers of government and their associated institutions. As government, our doors are always open for engagement with the citizenry. We also conduct community izimbizo where we visit communities and listen to the concerns of the people. We get to see for ourselves the kind of challenges they face in their communities. Together we work to find solutions.  We are a government that listens. We are a government of the people.
Namhlanje ndizokuzibonela umsebenzi omhle owenziwayo kule lali. Ndivuya ngakumbi ukubona ukuba kukho netonamenti yesoka kule mibhiyozo. Iyandichulumancisa ngakumbi loo nto kuba isoka idibanisa abantu ukuze bamanyane. Soccer is not just about kicking and chasing the inflated animal skin. It is about unity. It is about working together in pursuit of a common goal.
The fact that each team wears the same jerseys is a clear indication of the unity of purpose. No matter how great a single player may be, he will not be fully effective unless he works as part of the team. Soccer stands out as a great example of how strong we can be when we work together as a collective.
What may not be well-known about me is that I am passionate about soccer. I come from a footballing community. When I was growing up in KwaMashu, we were neighbours with the late Petrus “Ten-ten” Nzimande, who sadly passed away last year. Nzimande was a Kaizer Chiefs middle fielder and one of the most respected football legends in South Africa.
My brother, Moses Radebe, was one of the most talented footballers in the 1960s. After Kaizer Motaung returned from North America, where he played for Atlanta Chiefs, he formed the Kaizer XI in 1969. In his recruitment drive for the club, he went around the country with his manager, Hewett Nene and star player, Ace Ntsoelengoe, scouting for talent. They tried to recruit my brother but Moses was committed to his local club, the Young Dribblers, and could not leave KwaZulu-Natal. He later played at professional level for both African Wanderers and AmaZulu FC. 
Although I did not make it into professional football, I was not bad a player either. Believe it or not, amongst other positions that I played, I was a goalkeeper. I can still play even now. I would be showing you my skills in the field but unfortunately I did not bring my boots today. Next time you won’t be that lucky!
My love for football continued even when we were incarcerated on Robben Island. I continued playing there and I was also involved with the organisation of games.
I have gone around the world following football matches. In as far back as 1994, I went to the United States to watch the epic final where Brazil beat Italy on penalties. I was also in Germany for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. I had the privilege of watching some of the greatest matches like when Barcelona beat Manchester united 2-0, with Cameroon’s Samuel Etoó and Argentina’s Lionel Messi scoring one goal each.
Of course, I was at the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg when Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0. Most recently, I was at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to witness the drabbing of Orlando Pirates by Supersport United in the Nedbank Cup final.
After having seen all these games, after travelling the length and breadth of the globe following football, it will be my greatest honour to come to Zwaligugi every July to watch a soccer tournament named after me. This tournament holds a very special place in my heart not only because it is named after me, but because I know there is hidden talent in the rural areas.
It is my wish that this tournament produces players who will rise to become some of our greatest football stars. Furthermore, it is my wish that by hosting this tournament, we keep youth away from the streets. Young people must able to do something constructive during the school holidays. Most importantly, I hope that from playing soccer, by being in involved in team sport, they will learn to work as a collective. The football field is one of the best platforms to cultivate leadership skills.
Ngalo mazwi, ndizama ukuninika inkuthazo ngeli nyathelo nilithathileyo. Kuluvuyo ukusebenzisana nabantu abazimiseleyo nabazinikeleyo emsebenzini wabo. Makwande!  
Enkosi.
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