The Eastern Cape provincial government deserved the royal flogging for snubbing its own Heritage Day event, said sport, recreation arts and culture MEC, Pemmy Majodina.
She was speaking after her government and local government had been given a verbal flaying for failing to attend the provincial Heritage Day commemoration her government organised at Alice on Friday.
Fuming Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, looking at the empty chairs set up for Eastern Cape legislators and most MECs, called the politicians “mischievous, unpatriotic and and an insult to voters”.
In an extraordinary moment, Majodina, one of only three MECs who attended, told the crowd:
“The chief has all the right to flog us. We publicly apologise to this gathering. It is indeed disrespectful and unpatriotic that we snubbed this event after we were voted in by the people.
“This is mischievous and an insult those who have voted us into power. We apologise profusely and we will fix our problems.”
She said: “This is an embarrassment to the Eastern Cape government. The whole province was supposed to have filled this place, but this has not happened. I will take it up with the premier and the legislature speaker and inform them that we have deserved this lambasting.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and Health MEC Dr Pumza Dyantyi were only there for a few hours during the unveiling of Chief Tyali’s renovated tombstone at the Woburn Great Place near Alice.
Other government leaders who attended were Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete, Defence Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla and Bhisho Legislature deputy speaker Bulelwa Tunyiswa .
The only Bhisho senior department official present was deputy director-general Mahlubandile Qwase.
Municipal leaders were also absent. Only Raymond Mhlaba local municipality leaders attended.
Interest in the annual Heritage Day celebration in the Eastern Cape has gradually dwindled but Friday’s attendance hit the bottom of the barrel.
Chief Matanzima said: “They put no value on our heritage. One now knows why they pass into law many anti-African and immoral laws. This snubbing shows clearly how naive and arrogant they are.
“This means that our history as a country, the liberation struggles, all the wars we fought against land dispossession and the sacrifices of our struggle heroes, the promotion of our heritage and culture mean absolutely nothing to them.
“They see us only as voting cows to be used during elections. What I see today is totally wrong. It is unpatriotic. It not statesmanship. You cannot, as government and legislature, boycott your own event.
“How many MECs, MPLs, mayors, speakers, and HODs are there in this provincial government? What message are they sending? It is disgusting that our government leaders show no regard for our heritage. This is not patriotism and statesmanship,” said Matanzima .
The event was attended by amaRharhabe Regent-Queen Noloyiso Sandile, Western Thembuland King Siyabonga Matanzima, Fort Hare University representatives, leadership of the ECHTL, Contralesa and the clergy. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za.
Bhisho slammed over Heritage Day snub
She was speaking after her government and local government had been given a verbal flaying for failing to attend the provincial Heritage Day commemoration her government organised at Alice on Friday.
Fuming Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders (ECHTL) chairman Chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima, looking at the empty chairs set up for Eastern Cape legislators and most MECs, called the politicians “mischievous, unpatriotic and and an insult to voters”.
In an extraordinary moment, Majodina, one of only three MECs who attended, told the crowd:
“The chief has all the right to flog us. We publicly apologise to this gathering. It is indeed disrespectful and unpatriotic that we snubbed this event after we were voted in by the people.
“This is mischievous and an insult those who have voted us into power. We apologise profusely and we will fix our problems.”
She said: “This is an embarrassment to the Eastern Cape government. The whole province was supposed to have filled this place, but this has not happened. I will take it up with the premier and the legislature speaker and inform them that we have deserved this lambasting.
Cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa and Health MEC Dr Pumza Dyantyi were only there for a few hours during the unveiling of Chief Tyali’s renovated tombstone at the Woburn Great Place near Alice.
Other government leaders who attended were Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pam Tshwete, Defence Deputy Minister Thabang Makwetla and Bhisho Legislature deputy speaker Bulelwa Tunyiswa .
The only Bhisho senior department official present was deputy director-general Mahlubandile Qwase.
Municipal leaders were also absent. Only Raymond Mhlaba local municipality leaders attended.
Interest in the annual Heritage Day celebration in the Eastern Cape has gradually dwindled but Friday’s attendance hit the bottom of the barrel.
Chief Matanzima said: “They put no value on our heritage. One now knows why they pass into law many anti-African and immoral laws. This snubbing shows clearly how naive and arrogant they are.
“This means that our history as a country, the liberation struggles, all the wars we fought against land dispossession and the sacrifices of our struggle heroes, the promotion of our heritage and culture mean absolutely nothing to them.
“They see us only as voting cows to be used during elections. What I see today is totally wrong. It is unpatriotic. It not statesmanship. You cannot, as government and legislature, boycott your own event.
“How many MECs, MPLs, mayors, speakers, and HODs are there in this provincial government? What message are they sending? It is disgusting that our government leaders show no regard for our heritage. This is not patriotism and statesmanship,” said Matanzima .
The event was attended by amaRharhabe Regent-Queen Noloyiso Sandile, Western Thembuland King Siyabonga Matanzima, Fort Hare University representatives, leadership of the ECHTL, Contralesa and the clergy. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za.
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