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(SUNDAY MAIL) Zuma calls for unity

Zuma calls for unity
Sunday Mail, 1 March 2009

AFRICA National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma of South Africa says African leaders should use political independence to unite and reconnect people of southern Africa.

Speaking yesterday when he officiated at the Nc’wala ceremony of the Ngoni people at Mtenguleni in Chipata, Mr Zuma said the relationship of countries in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) would be more meaningful if the people at grassroots were able to interact through traditional ceremonies.

He said his invitation to Zambia by President Banda demonstrated the warm relationship between Zambia and South Africa.

He said it was an important political duty for President Banda to have invited him to officiate at the Nc’wala ceremony and reconnect the Ngoni people with their brothers and sisters in South Africa.

“The challenge now is how to reconnect with our brothers and sisters after gaining independence. We must remember that oppressors wanted us to lose our identity and forget where we are coming from,” Mr Zuma said.

He said Zambia and South Africa had long enjoyed a good relationship despite the colonialists having created boundaries and divided the ethnic groups into smaller groups for fear that they would be defeated.

He said now that countries were independent the challenge was for political leaders to reconnect the people of Africa and ensure that the connection grew bigger.

“The relationship was interrupted by colonialists who created political boundaries and made their countries in their own form. They did this after our heroic fight but defeated us after using sophisticated weapons and colonised us. But we liberated ourselves at different times,” he said.

He said during the struggle for independence, Zambia was home for various freedom fighters and sacrificed for the independence of Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“Now that we have political independence, it is important for political leaders to use this power to reconnect people in a free environment,” he said.

Mr Zuma said, however, that there should be no contradiction between traditional system of governance and modern politics because both worked for the good of the people.

“There must be cooperation between traditional and modern politics,” he said.

Mr Zuma was earlier greeted with a spectacular display of the Ngoma dance at Chipata Airport on his arrival before he met Chipata Mayor Sinoya Mwale at the district council offices.

Mr Zuma was bestowed with an honorary award of Freeman of the municipality of Chipata in recognition of his sacrifice and contribution to the liberation of South Africa.

He later proceeded to Mtenguleni to call on Paramount Chief Mpezeni.

Mr Zuma was accompanied by family members of King Zweletini of the Zulu people. These included a daughter and son of the King and two of his brothers. Others were two royal highnesses of Zimbabwe.

And President Banda said it was important for people to maintain their culture because it defined the essence of human beings.

“Keeping our culture is keeping our essence of human beings. A person is regarded as a person through culture. The Nc’wala ceremony reaffirms our freedom to celebrate and share with the rest of the world the country’s tradition and culture,” he said.

Mr Banda said Government decided to invite Mr Zuma to grace the ceremony because Mr Zuma was one of the distinguished leaders and touch bearer of the next presidential election in South.

“It was important for him to grace the ceremony and it is so generous for Mr Zuma to be the guest of honour here. The world knows that Mr Zuma is a touch bearer in the forthcoming elections and that it is so generous for him to be a guest of honour here,” he said.

Mr Banda said Zambians, and the Ngonis in particular, were related to South Africans. The two leaders later unveiled a statue of a Ngoni warrior in the main arena.

And Paramount Chief Mpezeni said the interaction between South Africans and Zambians, particularly the Ngonis, could make the two peoples explore a lot in tourism.

In a speech read for him by the chairman general of Ngoni Royal Establishment, Mr Adam Chongo, the chief said that Zambians and South Africans should promote cultural exchanges to improve their relationship.

He thanked President Banda for his Government’s continued efforts to develop the district. He cited the Mchinji-Chipata railway as one of the developments that would create employment when it is completed.

He appealed to government to increase fertiliser support to his subjects so that they could produce more crops. He hoped that the district would have a good harvest this year.

Other Zambian paramount chiefs present were Mwata Kazembe of the Lunda people and Kalonga Gawa Undi of the Chewa people.

Labels: CHIEF MPEZENI, CHIEF UNDI, JACOB ZUMA, MWATA KAZAMBE, NC'WALA, PANAFRICANISM, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:30 PM