Mathibela day a great success
Events like these play a crucial role when it comes to uniting the future leaders and teaching them about respecting their culture.
BUSHBUCKRIDGE – Ordinary community members and respected traditional leaders from different corners of the province came in numbers on Saturday to the Mathibela Traditional Council in Ockley to commemorate Mathibela day.
Speaking to Mpumalanga News, the provincial chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgoshi Lameck Mokoena of the Mathibela Traditional Council, said the objective of the event was to celebrate where they came from and to remind young people about their culture since these days they were living a western life.
“It’s very important to know where they come from and what makes us better people.
Celebrating our history is important as it gives me the opportunity to explain the importance of our heritage and whether we’re still on the right track,” he said.
Mokoena further said the youth needed to be drawn into cultural matters.
“As traditional leaders, we are very disappointed to see young girls falling pregnant at an early age with the result that they drop out of school.
“Events like these play a crucial role when it comes to uniting the future leaders and teaching them about respecting their culture and I’m glad that they came in numbers, ngoba sibantfu bendlu lemphisholo ngaphandle kwemasikho etfu menihambo asilutho, asiticabhe ngalendlela singayo (Because as Africans without our culture and customs we are nothing, let us be proud of ourselves the way we are),”concluded Mokoena.
The event was also graced by the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni who said,
“As a department, we are very honoured to be part of this event and we really appreciate the good working relationship that we have with traditional leaders, especially when it comes to addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy which is on the increase in the province.”
She encouraged young people to participate in sports so that they would stay focused and disciplined.
The deputy chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Inkosi Sandile Ngomane called upon the department of sports, arts and culture to attend such events so as to be in touch with our culture.
“I’d like to appeal to the department to grace such occasions because it’s very rare to find them attending important events that are part and parcel of promoting culture. “As a mother body of arts and culture, we’d like to salute Kgoshi Mokoena for hosting this event during the Heritage Month,’ he said.
