Virtual Keynote address by H.E. Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile, Eastern Cape Traditional Leaders’ Summit, East London ICC

Programme Directors, Nkosi Dalisizwe Dudumayo and COGTA HOD Vuyo Mlokothi;
Premier of the Eastern Cape, Mr Oscar Mabuyane; 
Your Majesties, Kings and Queens present here today;
Deputy Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Prince Zolile Burns-Ncamashe;
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Ms Zoleka Capa;
MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Zolile Williams;
Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Kgosi Thabo Seathlolo; 
Chairperson of the Provincial House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Nkosi Mpumalanga Gwadiso;
Members of the Executive Council;
Mayors and other Councillors present;
Esteemed Traditional Leaders; 
Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

When I received the invitation to address this Summit, I immediately recognised the importance of this gathering.

Not only because the President has tasked me with promoting social cohesion initiatives with Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, but because you, as Royalty, occupy positions of profound importance in our communities.

You are entrusted by our ancestors to lead with honour, dignity, and wisdom. You are the custodians of our heritage, the guardians of our values, and the weavers of the social fabric that binds our nation together.

Although pressing commitments prevent me from joining you in person today, I address you with deep respect and humility.

My purpose today is to reflect on government’s progress in supporting traditional leadership and to consider how traditional institutions can continue to play a significant role in development and social cohesion within our constitutional democracy.
Let me state clearly: Government will never render traditional leaders irrelevant.

On the contrary, we recognise that traditional leadership remains a vital pillar of governance, particularly in rural communities.

Long before colonial powers arrived on our shores, traditional leaders were the heartbeat of governance in African societies. Councils convened under your leadership resolved disputes, upheld justice, and ensured the collective will of communities was respected.

Your authority was not imposed. It was earned through service, lineage, and trust by the people.

History also reminds us that when colonialism sought to dismantle indigenous systems, traditional leaders became both targets of manipulation and symbols of resistance.

Some were co-opted into structures designed to divide our people. Others remained steadfast, preserving languages, customs, and cultural identity in the face of oppression.

This resilience helped lay the foundation for the democratic society we enjoy today. The transition to democracy, however, also brought new complexities. Traditional leaders have had to navigate the important task of preserving cultural traditions while operating within a modern constitutional state.

Our Constitution recognises this reality. It affirms the institution, status, and role of traditional leadership according to customary law and acknowledges its significance within our democratic order.

This recognition reflects an important principle: our democracy must remain rooted in the lived realities of our people.

Across the country, we have witnessed traditional leaders adapting in meaningful ways to strengthen governance and development.

Legislative frameworks such as the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Acthave aligned traditional leadership with democratic principles.

Traditional Councils now work alongside municipalities within the system of cooperative governance. These councils include elected members and ensure the participation of women in leadership structures.
Through these changes, traditional leadership continues to evolve while preserving the heritage and legitimacy that communities place in these institutions.

However, challenges remain.

This Summit therefore provides an opportunity to reflect honestly on the support provided to traditional leadership since 1994, the obstacles traditional leaders face in fulfilling their responsibilities, and the practical steps required to strengthen cooperation between government and traditional institutions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The government has taken deliberate steps to restore the dignity and recognition of traditional leadership.
Platforms such as the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as well as Provincial and Local Houses, ensure that traditional leaders participate in shaping policies that affect rural communities.

Through these structures, traditional leaders have consistently raised critical issues including land rights, socio-economic development, institutional capacity, infrastructure support, policy reforms, and social cohesion.

In response, the President established the Inter-Ministerial Task Team on Matters of Traditional Leadership in 2022 to ensure a coordinated response to these concerns.

The Task Team focuses on five key priorities: advancing land rights and socio-economic development, strengthening traditional institutions, investing in infrastructure and skills, promoting nation-building and unity, and finalising policy and legislative reforms.

Through these initiatives, we reaffirm that traditional leaders are not bystanders in development. You are important partners in governance.
At the national level, traditional leaders play an advisory role on legislation and policies that affect customary law, land reform, and rural development.

At the provincial level, Houses of Traditional Leaders must strengthen collaboration with legislatures and provincial governments to ensure that programmes respond effectively to rural realities.

At the local level, traditional councils must work closely with municipalities to close service-delivery gaps and mobilise communities to protect public infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and water systems.

In the Eastern Cape in particular, traditional leaders have a crucial role to play in confronting some of the most pressing social challenges facing our communities.

When gender-based violence devastates families and communities, traditional leaders must stand at the forefront in declaring that no woman or child should live in fear.

Our government has classified Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as a national disasterto strengthen coordination in addressing this crisis.

But legislation alone cannot change behaviour. Community leadership is essential in challenging harmful attitudes and practices that perpetuate violence.

Similarly, when substance abuse and unemployment threaten the future of our youth, traditional leaders must guide young people towards discipline, opportunity, and hope.

Members of Royal Houses,

As custodians of communal land, traditional leaders carry a profound responsibility.

Land is not only a resource for economic development; it is also the foundation of identity, dignity, and empowerment.

Managing communal land requires transparency, fairness, and accountability so that development opportunities can benefit entire communities.

We must also recognise the potential of agriculture as a driver of sustainable development in rural areas.

The soil is one of our greatest assets. When cultivated wisely, it can create jobs, strengthen food security, and provide opportunities for youth and women.

Government initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus have already created more than 2.5 million employment and livelihood opportunities, many of them benefiting young people in rural communities.

The Social Employment Fund is also supporting agricultural initiatives by providing training, skills development, and access to markets for smallholder farmers.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The fight against poverty, inequality and social fragmentation requires partnership between government and traditional institutions.

This spirit of partnership is also reflected in the National Dialogue, which has now entered its first phase.

Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders form part of both the Eminent Persons Group and the National Dialogue Steering Committee, ensuring that voices rooted in community wisdom and heritage help shape the national conversation.

I encourage traditional leaders across the country to actively participate in the community dialogues that will inform the National Dialogue Convention later this year, which will be led by the President.

During this Summit, let us reaffirm that the battle against social ills cannot be fought in isolation.
It is won when chiefs, councillors, churches, schools, and civil society stand together.

It is won when we empower women as pillars of resilience and invest in youth as the leaders of tomorrow.

And it is won when dignity is restored to every household.

As we move forward, let us strengthen the partnership between elected leaders and traditional authorities so that together we build a society that is inclusive, just, and firmly rooted in the heritage of our people.

As you continue with deliberation for the duration of this programme, I wish you robust and directive engagements.

Ndiyabulela, I thank you.