Our only concern is the welfare and growth of our nation whose destinies we embody. We have now to stand by with dignity and decorum, looking at the tragedy which is to unfold and which we so desperately tried to avert. Until the last moment, we hoped that the President could intervene to redress that which neither the former Minister of Constitutional Development, Mr Valli Moosa, nor the Chairman of the Demarcation Board had wished to set right. However it is now evident that the last moment is rapidly approaching, if it has indeed not already tragically passed. There might be no time to bring about the profound rethinking of local government structures and related boundary lines which are necessary to accommodate a role for traditional leadership which preserves their powers and functions, while directing them towards the cause of development.
All indications are that it is indeed too late to do it, even if one wanted to.
This might be a moot issue, for there are even less indications of any political will or serious intention to even embark upon such a complex exercise. It seems that no effort has been set in place to move beyond words of reassurance and expressions of comfort for traditional leadership. We are the heirs of a glorious, noble and sacred bloodline, the continuance of which we must ensure for the sake of posterity to come and for the future of our nation. If our role fails, our national identity fails, especially at the crucial juncture when our Kingdom has not yet been formally recognised within the broader unity of South Africa, and the status of our Monarchy remains uncertain. We are like a river, the mouth of which goes far back in the mists of time, and we carry with us the destinies of our people under the seal of our duty and heavy responsibility of leadership.