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Memorial lecture on the life and times of Ms Charlotte Matthys as delivered by the acting Premier of the Northern Cape, HON. Ms. Grizelda Cjiekella 18 August 2012, J. Shimane Hall, Upington

Programme Director
Members of the Matthys family
Distinguished Guests
Members of the community
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is an honour and great privilege for me to deliver the memorial lecture on the life and times of Ms Bettie Charlotte Matthys, an activist and loyal cadre of the African National Congress. I want to sincerely thank both the members of the Matthys family and the Department of Arts and Culture, for the honour they have bestowed on us to deliver this important lecture.

I also want to express my deep appreciation to each of you for being here; your time and energy are amongst your greatest assets, thank you for giving up some of it to be here. We need, especially during this month of August, women of courage and substance like Comrade Matthys.
Comrade Matthys was a woman that the women of today can look up to for inspiration and guidance even when tackling the issues faced by modern day women.
As a province and country, we are forever inspired by people like Ms Matthys, who devoted her entire life to the goodwill of the people and her church. She commanded great respect and influence in the church where she strove to build a better future for all. Comrade Charlotte Matthys served in various leadership capacities in the Lutheran church where she travelled extensively to international gatherings to represent the church.
Through her laudable efforts and her contacts abroad she was able to raise over a R100 000 to help with the building of the church in Louisvale Road and undoubtedly made a huge impact in the lives of thousands of children and women.

Indeed Comrade Matthys had been blessed and used that blessing to bring great joy to other people’s lives. As a teacher by profession she inculcated the values of discipline, self reliance, hardwork and commitment in young people as the best way to achieve success. She made her mark in 1998 in the political arena by standing up to join the ANC and the ANC Women’s League.

She was not just a gender activist for women’s rights but also a human rights and equal opportunity activist in her own right. She worked hard to build the Women’s League in her community and understood very well the need to have strong and well organised structures to drive social and economic transformation. During that time she also worked very hard to revive and encourage branches so that they can stand together to fight for the rights of women and children. She made use of her free time during the weekends to visit branches and help to establish more branches.
Because of her total commitment towards her people and the delivery of local government services to her community, she was elected as a ward councillor for ward 4 in 2000. Despite the fact that she became seriously ill in 2005 she still carried out her duties diligently as councillor and continued to address the plight of the local community. She was re-elected in 2006 and served as a councillor until her calling on 25 March 2008. It is due to Charlotte Matthys and countless other women who selflessly sacrificed their time and expertise to pave the way for us to enjoy the freedoms and rights so many of us take for granted today.

She will be remembered as a graceful pillar of justice, who maintained a strong commitment to her family; her branch and her province throughout the time that she was involved in the struggle for justice and equality. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a very important year for the women’s struggle as we celebrate the 100 years of the ANC.

This year also marks the 56th anniversary since the remarkable march by women in 1956 that helped change the political landscape of the country.
Compatriots, given the legacy of women’s oppression in general and black women in particular, government’s bias towards working class and rural poor women remains steadfast. Our Government has made significant progress in empowering women in the political, public and educational spheres, but the marginalization of poor women severely compromises progress.

Despite government programmes and interventions, women continue to be marginalized and discriminated against in terms of economic opportunities, the labour market as well as access to land, credit, and finance. Despite the critical role women play in food production and management of natural resources, they have ownership of a very small percentage of agricultural land. Rural women’s lack of access to resources and basic services is compounded by their unequal rights in family structures, as well as unequal access to family resources, such as land and livestock.
Within and between race groups, women continue to bear the burden of inequality. South Africa’s rankings on the Gender-Related Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) are quite divergent, with a low GDI score but a relatively high GEM. This reflects the separate and at times contradictory nature of South Africa’s transformation process. According to the Mid-term Review of the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities, crime statistics indicate that the murder of adult women increased by 5, 6% during the 2010/2011 reporting period. Social contact crimes committed against adult women include common assault (46, 9% of cases), followed by assault through grievous bodily harm. Sexual offences remain unacceptably high. Ladies and gentlemen, we can also proudly report that two decades on, there is an ever rising increase in numbers of women in Parliament and government. This development can be attributed to the introduction of important legislation that empowers women, including the establishment of statutory bodies and a Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities to advance equality.

The statutory and policy architecture for gender equality in the country is comprehensive and multi-dimensional, with individual laws and policy overlapping to provide seamless protection of the rights of women and girls. Progressive legislation includes the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, the Employment Equity Act, the Domestic Violence Act, Sexual Offences Act and the Civil Union Act, among others. Government is also in the process of finalising the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, which will ensure compliance both within government and the private sector with measures intended to promote women empowerment and gender equality. In honour of Comrade Charlotte Matthys we must continue to intensify and root out the scourge of violence and abuse against women and children.

We must redouble our efforts to create equal opportunities for women. In our province and throughout our country, we join in solidarity and sisterhood - on a day and during a month of joyousness, reflection, endearing and enduring nostalgia, and a recharge of energy, optimism and enthusiasm. On a day and during a month for our communities to acknowledge, with respect and appreciation, the contributions that Comrade Charlotte Matthys and countless other women make in every aspect of life:
- In the home, on the job, as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, learners, workers, citizens and leaders;
- At workshops, conferences, summits, in boardrooms, classrooms, in factories, tuck-shops
- At breakfasts, dinners, at picnics, in parliaments, on television, on twitter, facebook - women coming together and making it happen for all of us- men and women; boys and girls!

Today and as we shall do throughout the month, we honour the spirit, the courage of those women like comrade Matthys, who gave inspiration to this significant event; The marches of women; weary and worn out- protesting against low wages, long working hours, inhumane conditions, child labour!

Their battles to improve the harsh and miserable, day-to-day lives of women; times when married women were the property of their husbands, in every sense! Their saddening cries for bread and roses. Yes, as women, we need bread to live, but we want the roses too. We also want to enjoy some of the lovely things in life - Sunlight, music!

Every step, every advance, was hard fought and hard won – in the face of prejudice and hostility. Today we stand on the fine and feisty shoulders of stalwarts such as Comrade Charlotte Matthys, Mama Sisulu, Mama Tambo, Helen Joseph, Mma Baard and many others as these women of substance broke down the barriers to education, to the professions, to good jobs and acceptable working conditions; to economic benefits, and to equal pay though. Inspiring leaders, dedicated followers, the finest ideals!

Today we take great pride in our progress and in our heroines – diverse, determined, influential, sophisticated and skilled and always concerned for the well being of others. Today tells an exciting story about what women can achieve – thanks to the selfless efforts of cadres in the mould of Comrade Matthys.

Let this Memorial Lecture here today, in honour of Comrade Matthys, strengthen the women’s movement and inspire all of us to continue to challenge, everyday, the reasons for gender inequality where ever we encounter it. In conclusion I want to express our profound admiration, gratitude and affection to those grassroots women who never give in; who are always there fighting for dignity; who never shirk the responsibility to speak out for those women who cannot.

Congratulations to one of our own – Minister Nkosazana Zuma on her election to the top post of Chairperson of the African Union; Congratulations to Team South Africa for an inspiring performance at the London Olympic games. Let us be inspired by Comrade Matthys, a dynamic woman who will forever inspire and guide us as we march forward in our quest for total women equality.

Malibongwe!!!

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Welcome remarks by the Acting Premier of the Northern Cape Province, MS GRIZELDA CJIEKELLA on the occation of the visit by the Deputy President of South Africa, his excellency, MR KGALEMA MOTLANTHE, to the Siyancuma Municipality on Saturday, 11 AUGUST 2012

His Excellency, The Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe
Mr Collins Chabane, Minister of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation and Administration in the Presidency
Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
Ms Dipuo Peters, Minister of Energy
Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, Deputy Minister of Women, Youth Children and People with Disabilities
Mr Godfrey Oliphant, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources
Mr Marius Fransman, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Mr Obed Bapela, Deputy Minister of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Presidency
Members of the Executive Council
The Executive Mayor of Pixley-Ka-Seme District Municipality, Mr John Lolwana
The Mayor of Siyancuma Local Municipality, Ms Lorraine Oliphant
The Leadership of other Municipalities in the Northern Cape and Councillors
The Director-General of the Northern Cape Provincial Government, Advocate Justice Bekebeke and officials from all three spheres of government
The Community of Douglas
Representatives of Faith Based Organisations
Representatives of Youth Formations
Heads of the Business Community
Members of the Media Fraternity
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen


Good morning, everybody. It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you, officially, to this important and seemingly mini-IGR Meeting. Let me also extend my sincere gratitude to the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, and his entire delegation. We welcome each and every one of you.

Indeed, Mr. Deputy President, it is our genuine belief that your visit will bolster our efforts to enhance service delivery to our communities as well as intensify our collective war against poverty.

We are also confident that the programme, as outlined for the day and the interactions with the community, will have a meaningful impact towards the eradication of poverty and unemployment, thereby bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Ladies and Gentlemen, employment creation and the fight against poverty and inequality continue to be the most pressing development challenges in the country and in our home Province. These challenges require concerted action at all levels if they are to be overcome.

Our country must unite in the war against poverty, hunger, homelessness and under-development, by ensuring that these programmes are sustainable.

Therefore, our most effective weapon in the campaign against poverty is the creation of decent work, and creating work requires faster economic growth.

Addressing unemployment, especially amongst our youth, is central towards attaining social and economic stability, including the attainment of internationally-agreed poverty reduction targets as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.

Rising unemployment, particularly among young people, has become a focal challenge for many countries across the world, including South Africa. Youth unemployment rates in some countries, particularly some developing countries, are as high as 50 per cent and have risen rapidly in advanced economies such as Spain and Ireland.

We can indeed ask: What is the meaning of South Africa’s economic growth for the young people if such growth is not translated into concrete opportunities in the labour market? Recent events worldwide are an important reminder of why employment and, more importantly, youth employment, should be at the centre of our country’s development agenda.

Together, we can do more to address the challenge of unemployment in general and youth unemployment in particular.

There is much work to be done, so let us put our shoulders to the wheel so that collectively, we can introduce meaningful changes that are both relevant and positive to our times, for the advancement of our country and the greater good of the people of our communities, particularly our children.

I Thank You

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Provincial Overview and Introduction of Keynote Speaker by the Acting Premier of the Northern Cape, Honourable Ms Grizelda Cjiekella on the occasion of the Job Summit, 10 August 2012, Convention Centre

Programme Director
Honourable Ministers, Mrs Mildred Oliphant, and Mr. Gugile Nkwinti
Members of the Executive present
Mayors and Councillors
Leadership of Business and Labour Representatives;
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Let me extend a warm welcome to all of you to this Labour Summit. It is my genuine understanding that the discussions that will be taking place here at this summit will be critical to the challenge of transforming our economy to make it more equitable, inclusive and labour-absorbing.

In the State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma laid out the broad outline of government’s programme of action, which places the creation of decent work and Infrastructure development as the central priority for government.

The Northern Cape as the largest province in the country and with the smallest population of one million ninety six thousand seven hundred and thirty one (1 096 731) people, is predominantly rural with about 43,6% of the people living in poverty.

According to the community survey in 2007, 10,8% of the population of the Northern Cape had no formal education, while 23,1% had primary education; 49,7% had some secondary education and 3,3% had higher education.

This brief profile of the province clearly states that a lot needs to be done in order to transform the living conditions of the people of the Northern Cape.


Programme Director, the provincial economy continues to be driven by the primary and tertiary sectors at 26,4 and 55,3% respectively.

On the employment front, the Northern Cape unemployment rate is currently 29,9%.

Even though the province currently employs 22,000 more people than the same period last year, the number of economically active people increased considerably by 24 000 extra people, from 422 000 to 446 000.

The 22, 000 jobs are an indication that the province is on track and really working hard to create employment opportunities for our people.

In addition, the province has developed a manufacturing strategy which is aimed at unlocking blockages that exist within this critical sector which currently employs only 10 000 people.

This is one of the sectors which have been identified by both the national and provincial government as key towards the diversification of the economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the recent announcement of the Square Kilometre Array also known as the SKA bid sees our country sharing the project with Australia and New Zealand with the bulk of the project awarded to South Africa and its eight SKA partner countries in Africa

The chosen South African site for the SKA telescope finds itself near Carnavon in the Northern Cape Province.

The project is set to create ample opportunities, both in terms of employment and for businesses in the Province.

It will present direct opportunities for the manufacturing and construction sectors amongst others, and will also expose our young people to new innovative information and technology programmes.

In similar vein, the province welcomes the announcement of the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission, or (PICC) which has already developed a number of Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs).

Our province indeed stands to benefit immensely from one of the 10 initial projects which aims to develop the Saldanha -Northern Cape linked region in an integrated manner through rail and exports.

It is upon the province to take advantage of this by focusing on other related opportunities emanating from this project.

We all agree that most of these job creation initiatives would indeed require specialized skills.

Accordingly, the province recently launched a Provincial Skills Development Forum consisting of the private sector, SETA’s, government and higher learning institutions.

The forum is tasked with ensuring that the current and future identified skills gaps in the province are addressed as a matter of great urgency.

Furthermore the establishment of a university in the province also presents a welcome opportunity for creation of jobs in the construction sector as well as a vehicle for addressing the current skills shortage that we are faced with.

The job summit had as its apex priority the following targeted outcomes:

Critical assessment of developments in the global economy and the challenges and prospects this represents for local economic development and job creation.
Consolidating a perspective on the job losses nationally and provincially and formulate a broad response with specific strategies.
The adoption of an inter-sectoral approach to job creation by engaging relevant stakeholders to broad-ranging discussion on sector specific measures.
And soliciting information from the private sector in the province on constraints to job creation and partnerships required to accelerate job creation

A number of other key job creation initiatives have been identified as a way of transforming and improving the livelihood of the people of the Northern Cape, however all these require government to work together with Business, Labour and NGO’s.

It is against this background that the province hosted its Provincial Job Summit on the 21 to the 22 June this year.

In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me the honour of introducing to you the Keynote Speaker for this important event, namely Mr Gugile Nkwinti, the National Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform.

Minister Nkwinti comes with strong educational and activist credentials.

He holds a diploma in nursing (psychiatry) as well as a Bachelors degree in Political Science, Public Administration and Applied Economics from Unisa.

Minister Nkwinti worked as a professional nurse and a research assistant in the department of psychology at Rhodes University between 1972 and 1984, thereafter moving to work for the UDF in the Eastern Cape from 1984 to 1989.

He went on to also serve as the UDF and ANC regional secretary in the Eastern Cape from 1990 to 1991.

In 1994 Minister Nkwinti became the Speaker of the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, and five years later, in 1999 he was appointed as MEC for Housing, Local Government and Traditional Affairs in the province.

2004 saw him holding on to his position as MEC for housing and Local Government and in 2009 he was appointed as minister of rural development and land reform.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm round of applause to Minister Nkwinti who will now deliver the Keynote Address.

I Thank You

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>>Speech by President Jacob Zuma on Reburial of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar
Welcome and introductory remarks by the acting Premier of the Northern Cape Province, Ms GRIZELDA CJIEKELLA, on the occation of the re-burial of Klass and Trooi Pienaar held on Sunday, 12 AUGUST 2012 AT THE KURUMAN CEMETERY
___________________________________

His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma
His Excellency, the Austrian Deputy Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Martin Gartner
His Excellency, Mr Xolisa Mabhongo, South African Ambassador to Austria
Mr Paul Mashatile, Minister of Arts and Culture
Dr Joe Phaahla, Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
The Acting MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Dawid Rooi
The Executive Mayor of John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality, Mrs S Mosikatsi
The Chairperson of the National Khoi-San Council, Mr Cecil Le Fleur
The Honourable Khoi-San Traditional Healer, Mr P Vaalbooi
The Honourable Khoi-San, Religious Leader, Ouma Katrina Esel
Municipal Councillors and Leaders
The Director-General of the Northern Cape Province, Advocate Justice Bekebeke and officials from the three spheres of government
Members of Faith-Based Organisations
Members of the Media Fraternity
Youth Formations
Members of the Community
Ladies and Gentlemen

On behalf of the People of the Northern Cape and the Provincial Government, I extend my profound gratitude to the First Citizen of our Republic, His Excellency, Mr Jacob Zuma, for availing his goodself at this auspicious and symbolic funeral service of two human beings whose corpses were stolen from our Motherland and whose remains were recently repatriated.

Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to also thank the National Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile for the foresight of his Department in engineering this event which, in more ways than one, is of national significance.

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, it is also fitting to appreciatively acknowledge the descendants of Klaas and Trooi Pienaar, many of whom are in our midst today. I thank every one of you for your assistance and co-operation in facilitating the repatriation of the remains of your forebears to our Motherland.

Allow me to also thank His Excellency, the Austrian Deputy Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Martin Gartner, and his South African counterpart, His Excellency, Mr Xolisa Mabhongo for the key roles they have played in this matter.

Our collective gratitude is also extended to the political principals and officials from all three spheres of government for making this Funeral a reality.

Moreover, and importantly so, I thank the community of Kuruman for being here today.

Mr President, at this point, allow me to quote from the memoirs of one Pregs Govender, activist, author, vociferous advocate of women’s rights and a former Member of Parliament:

“The worst experience had sent me spiralling. Yet it had also deepened the journey within and awakened love from which courage flowed. Memory had surfaced, and beyond it, a glimpse of the truth that none of us are fixed in heroic or despotic moments of history. Life, as it waxes and wanes, always provides opportunities for our humanity to emerge.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, as I look around, and by your very expressions, I can feel our humanity emerging.

Our humanity has truly emerged: In spite of the Pienaar’s being exhumed for dubious “scientific” reasons.

Our humanity has truly emerged: In spite of the Pienaar’s flesh being boiled off their corpses and their skeletal remains being the subject of foreign curiosity in the National History Museum in Vienna, Austria, for more than a hundred years.

Our humanity has truly emerged: The Pienaar’s return to our common Motherland, not as objects of curiosity in a foreign museum, but as human remains to be interred in the earth of Kuruman: Never to depart, never to be violated, and by the Grace of Almighty God, never ever to be forgotten from the our collective memory and our collective psyche as a community and as a nation.

Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have good reason to believe that our humanity will emerge further. As I stand before you, 150 skulls, 80 full skeletons, various hair samples and 1000 metres of film of our forebears dating back more than 100 years are housed in museums in Europe.

In this regard, it is our sincere wish as the people of the Northern Cape that all these remains are brought back home. There is no other way. There can be no other way. And it must be done speedily. Their souls are crying out to rest in the land of their birth. As Government, this is the least we can do - but do it we certainly will.

Mr President, the funeral we are about to witness, is not only a victory for our country or the Continent of Africa: it is indeed a victory for humanity at large. Of this I have no doubt.

And as we approach Heritage Month, we are certain that the repatriation of the remains of our people to their Motherland will be expedited with compassion and dignity.

As we rehumanise, and as our humanity re-emerges, we must always be on the watch that the dubious self-serving motives of people never recur, for today our humanity has really emerged. May it last forever.

I Thank You