13 November 2023
This year’s Umkhosi wemmemo waKaMatsamo has reignited hope among the community of Matsamo and inspired confidence in the leadership of the royal family and the traditional council.
The event took place at the Royal Kraal, KalaNgwane in Embhojeni (Jeppes Reef) in Mpumalanga. It was attended by business leaders, small, medium and micro enterprises, members of the Eswatini and Matsamo royal families, officials of development finance institutions, leaders of other traditional councils and royal families, government leaders and departments and members of the Matsamo community.
Addressing the 28 000-strong crowd, the acting chief of the Matsamo Traditional Council, HRH MM Shongwe, warned the Matsamo people to respect the rule of law, respect each other, and respect and appreciate land. He also congratulated the four-time rugby world champions, the Amabhokobhoko, on their recent victory.
“Nihloniphe sandla semsetfo kanye nekusebenta kwawo. Umhlaba anititsatseli ngoba umtselela wekutitsatsela umhlaba mubi futsi anginifiseli wona. Nikhumbule umuntfu uyanikwa umhlaba kantsi nakuhambe lomunye wetfu kuyahlonishwa. Asiwubangi umsindvo kwatise kutsi kusuke kuhambe lomunye wetfu” said Shongwe. (“Respect the hand that feeds you and its work. The earth is not our enemy because the goodness of cultivating the land does not harm us. Remember that a person is given land and even if another person walks on it, it is appreciated. Let us not destroy our heritage so that it can continue to be passed on to another person.”)
The acting chief also invited government and business to join hands with the community in pursuit of the Matsamo community’s interests and ambitions as championed by the royal family and the traditional council.
The traditional council is building key infrastructure and driving capital projects to advance economic growth, create jobs and preserve and promote heritage.
Phahlane Agrisolutions
The Matsamo Traditional Council and royal family unveiled Phahlane Agrisolutions as their implementing agent tasked with mobilising resources, driving investment, managing key projects and assisting the two houses with other projects.
Phlahlane AgriSolutions is a professional and consulting company focusing on agriculture, forestry, land development and advisory services. The company offers services to land developers, farmers, land owners and property developers and has a presence in various parts of the country and beyond South Africa’s borders.
Mbuso Thumbathi, co-CEO of Phahlane Agrisolutions, was announced as the official spokesperson of the royal family and the traditional council, negotiator and adviser-in-chief. Thumbathi is a farmer, business executive and land activist. He has grown through the ranks as a young journalist, university researcher, communicator and adviser.
“I am grateful to be working the land here at home. I am humbled by the decision of the collective,” he said. “My first project will be to assist in the repositioning of the two houses to optimise performance… and to build the much-needed infrastructure and reconnect our municipality and province to the world.”
Thumbathi will lead a team of multi-disciplinary professionals charged with driving trade and investment in and around the Matsamo community, championing the implementation of development projects, building infrastructure and creating economic growth and jobs.
Thumbathi is connected to traditional leaders, and his love for land and his community is unmatched. “He works tirelessly and has led various portfolios. He has proven to excel in any task or assignment given to him,” said Prof John Shongwe.
Introducing Thumbathi to the public and guests, Million Shongwe, a member of the Matsamo royal family, described him as a strategist and a mover and shaker “He is an asset to the community and to us. Lapha siphetse vula bavalile.”
The chairperson of the royal family, Bheki Shongwe, voiced sentiments shared by Thumbathi and the collective, and the co-CEO said: “Key opportunities have been identified in various sectors, namely agriculture, tourism, arts, culture and heritage. There are short-, medium- and long-term spinoffs for everyone.”
Umkhosi wemmemo is an annual event summoned by the royal family and the traditional council. It is aimed at promoting social cohesion and the spirit of ubuntu, as well as enhancing the preservation of culture and heritage. It is also used to unveil plans by the Matsamo community’s traditional leadership and to allow the community to engage with leaders, the government and businesses about opportunities available.
For more information, contact Mbuso Thumbathi on 072 663 8698 or email: Mbuso.Thumbathi@icloud.com
