Remarks By
Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Mp
President Of The Inkatha Freedom Party
KwaNompondo
His Worship the Mayor of Hlabisa, Councillor VF Hlabisa; Councillors and Officials from Hlabisa Local Municipality; Mr Zoneli Cebekhulu and Mrs Thuli Ntuli; members of the community; and all those involved in building this house.
I cannot tell you what a privilege it is for me to visit Hlabisa and to celebrate with you as the Cebekhulu family receives a new home. It is moments like this that remind me why I work day in and day out to meet the needs of my people. Because even though the needs are overwhelming, and though the resources may often be scarce, it is possible to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life. It is worth the fight.
I want to thank our Mayor, Councillor Hlabisa, for responding so swiftly when he heard of Mr Cebekhulu’s plight. When he visited last month and saw the difficult conditions in which Mr Cebekhulu and Mrs Ntuli lived, he immediately made plans to help them. His visit wasn’t for publicity. When he left, he didn’t close his ears and his heart. Instead, he showed the kind of leadership that all councillors should show.
Thus today we are able to officially hand over a secure and well-built house to the Cebekhulu family. It will be more than a place of shelter. It will be a home, because it restores to this family the dignity they were forced to surrender. I know that Mr Zoneli Celekhulu has endured great hardship. When illness left him with serious disability, he was no longer able to work. That is difficult for any man, but particularly for a breadwinner.
Mr Cebekhulu, I can imagine that there have been many days on which you wanted to give up. But I hope that today heals some of that pain. I also pray that this is the first of many happier days to come. May your new home bring you comfort, security and peace.
What we are doing here today is not just about meeting needs. It’s about the strength of community and the good that can emerge when a community is governed by leaders of integrity. I am proud of the leadership in Hlabisa Local Municipality. I am proud to know that they are part of the IFP family and that they live by the values of the IFP.
We don’t make empty promises, or promises we cannot keep. If we say we are going to do something, it means we already know how we are going to get it done. This is what makes the IFP the party you can trust. It is good to know that the community of Hlabisa can trust their leaders in local government, because trust is the foundation of an effective partnership.
This partnership has delivered a home to a family in need. It is right that we celebrate, because this moment will encourage us to keep going, to meet the next need, and the next. We do this in the service of our nation.
