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 South Sudanese Traditional Leaders on Tour
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Jacob J. Akol
South Sudanese Traditional Leaders on Tour
(Nairobi, August 18, 2006)
Sixteen traditional leaders from South Sudan and the Nuba Mountain left Nairobi on Thursday afternoon, August 17, for a marathon historic fact-finding tour of South Africa, Botswana and Ghana. Their mission is to observe how traditional leaders in those countries work alongside modern government for good governance and welfare of their peoples.
Their work schedule is heavy: In South Africa, they are to visit the National House of Chiefs in the South African capital, Pretoria, where they will meet local government officials and leaders of the National House of Traditional Leaders.
Tomorrow, Saturday, they are scheduled for Kwandebele to meet with King Makhosoke II and other dignitaries. They return to Pretoria for a Cocktail Party in their honour by the Swiss Embassy.
They then travel on Sunday to the coastal city of Durban, where they will on Monday be received by the King of the Zulus, then return to Pretoria for “Informal Discussion Meeting with Members of the National House of Traditional Leaders”.
They are scheduled for the Botswana’s capital, Gaboroni on 23rd August, where they will spend three gruelling days, visiting the House of Chiefs in Gaboroni, meeting paramount chiefs and meeting Kgosi (chief) Mosadi at her Kgotla (court) in Ramotswa, before the long flight to Ghana via Johannesburg on Monday, August 28.
In the Ghanaian capital, Accra, the South Sudanese leaders are scheduled to meet on Tuesday the President of the House of Chiefs and other members of the house, followed on Wednesday by a long trip to the Ashanti ancient city of Kumasi, meeting along the way Paramount Chief of Akuapem and a stopover at Kibi to meet Okyenhene .
In Kumasi, they will visit the ancient Royal Court of the Ashantehene and returning to Accra on Thursday, August 31, for more meetings on Friday, Septem1, with chiefs and government officials, before catching the long flight back to Nairobi, via Johannesburg, arriving here on Saturday afternoon. A press conference in Nairobi is scheduled for Sunday, September 3. They fly back to Juba on Monday, September 4, for a scheduled press conference with Sudanese media before returning to their homes.
Note: The Gurtong website, www.gurtong.com will post daily reports of the progress of the tour.
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Re: South Sudanese Traditional Leaders on Tour (Re: Deng)
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Jacob J. Akol
List of the Traditional Leaders on Tour
(Nairobi, Monday August 21, 2006)
The fourteen South Sudanese and Nuba Mountains traditional leaders currently on historic tour of South Africa, Botswana and Ghana are:
King Victor Oduho Lomiluk Lohide: King of the Latuka,Torit.
Chief Dennis Dar Amallo Kundi: Paramount chief of the Bari, Juba.
Chief Madalina Tito Ohirong Ohire: Chief of Lopit, Torit.
Chief Louis Lopua Naita Lobor: Paramount Chief of the Toposa, Kapoeta.
King Adongo Agada Akwai Cham: King of the Anyuak.
Chief Philip Manytong Awin Manytong: Representative of the Reith (King) of the Shilluk.
Chief Issac Ruot Lam War Kur: Paramount Chief of Low.
Chief Ireneo Kunda Tabur Unango: Chief of Raga County.
Chief Pio Tem Kuag: Aweil North
Chief Dut Malwal Arop Tong: Rumbek
Chief Jacob Madhol Lang Juk: Twic Chief, Gogrial.
Emir Kuol Deng Kuol: Abyei
Emir Elamen A. Elgadir Dauod: Nuba Mountains
Emir Yagoub Gebril Abdalla Makki: Nuba Mountains
They are in good hands: In company are Mr Nikodemo Arou Man Chot Ngot (Local Government Secretariat Representative). Mr. Owar Ngot Ojang Odol (Assisting the Anyuak King), Mr. Dau Reec Deng Lual (Representative of Bor counties).
Also in company are: Mr. Edwin Baba (UNDP), Swiss anthropologist Dr. Conradin Perner, famously known by his Anyuak name Kwacakworo. Also in company is Gurtong’s own, Ms Amer Ajok, known on the Gurtong Discussion Board as Amira Junub. Mr Aly Verjee of Juba Post is the journalist in the company.
The team will be met in Johannesburg by Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah. Prof. Prah, who once taught in the University of Juba, prepared the Southern Africa programme as well as that of his home country, Ghana, where he will lead and introduce them to various kings and chiefs.
One sideline but important objective of the trip is that the leaders will get to know each other better and share challenges. For example: at a reception held in their honour in Nairobi on August 16, at the home of Mr. Arthur Mattli, Charge d’Affaires a.i. of Switzerland and Mrs. Florence Tinguely Mattli, Deputy Permanent Representative to UNEP, the Anyuak King shared with others the plight of his people across the border with Ethiopia, to where most of his subjects were cut off by colonial borders. Thousands of Anyuaks, he reported, perished in recent armed invasion of his territory on the Ethiopian side by “highlanders” of a different ethnic community. Now he has thousands of displaced Anyuaks on the Sudan side of the border.
The Toposa Paramount Chief’s nightmares were centred on the chronic raiding of “cattle and women” between the Toposa on one hand and the Turkana (in Kenya) and the Karamajong (in Uganda) on the other hand. The chiefs of the three ethnic communities meet often to settle problems as peacefully as possible. “We are one people, same language, culture and so on; but now there are too many guns in the hands of young people who will not listen to wisdom,” he said.
The Bari Paramount Chief is determined to build a “home” for all South Sudanese chiefs in the South Sudanese capital, Juba. He is already working very hard to secure land on which to build, to begin with, “a rest house for chiefs”. The idea had solid support from the traditional leaders with him. While they intend to ask for outside support, some of them thought that together they could contribute a substantial amount of the funds needed for the project.
It should be remembered, however, that the traditional leaders on the tour represent a mere proportion of the total number of traditional leaders in South Sudan and the Nuba Mountains.
Note: Reports of the progress of the tour can be followed on the Gurtong website, www.gurtong.net
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Re: South Sudanese Traditional Leaders on Tour (Re: Deng)
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South Sudanese Traditional Leaders Tour - Day One
Day 1: 18th August 2006
Pretoria, South Africa
The traditional leaders tour of three African Countries, The Republic of South Africa, Botswana and Ghana, kicked off today in Pretoria, South Africa. The Sudanese delegation is composed of two Kings, two Princes, Chiefs and a representative from the Government of Southern Sudan’s Ministry of Local Government. These traditional leaders represent Southern Sudan, Abyei and the Nuba Mountains.
The tour began with a visit to the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHOTL). The National House of Traditional Leaders is housed in the Department of Local Government in Pretoria. This house is composed of eighteen traditional leaders who represent six out of the nine provinces in South Africa. Three provinces do not have representatives as they do not have traditional leaders.
At the National House of Traditional Leaders, the Sudanese delegation was welcomed and briefed by Mr. Zam Titus, the Special Advisor to the Minister of Local Government and Provincial Affairs. Mr. Titus explained the governance system in South Africa, and how the traditional leaders fit into the greater scheme of the governance system. He also briefed the delegation on the government’s new legislation and policies on traditional leadership. He also pointed out the laws that apply to traditional leadership in South Africa.
The Chairperson of the NHOTL, Khosi Kutama, made a presentation on traditional leadership in South Africa. He gave a historical perspective on how the institution of traditional leadership came to be formalized in the governance system of South Africa.
The delegation was also addressed by the Chief Executive Officer of the NHOTL, Mr Sithole. In his address, Mr Sithole pointed out the roles, responsibilities and functions of the NHOTL. He described the functions of the house and also explained the four levels of traditional institutions in South Africa. He also went on to discuss the work of the six house committees and the process of budgeting.
The General Secretary of the Congress of Traditional Leaders in South Africa (CONTRALESA), Nkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana made a presentation on “the role of the organization of traditional leaders in enhancing democracy in Africa”. He spoke about the struggle that the traditional leaders in South Africa undertook to ensure that they were formally recognized by the government. Nkosi Mwelo, who is a traditional leader as well as a parliamentarian, stressed that it was necessary for African governments to complement the principles of traditional African leadership with those of western democratic principles. He cautioned against focusing too much on western political philosophy at the expense of African political philosophy.
Professor Guma, a South African traditional healer, spoke on the importance of our African value systems. He warned that as African, we have to stop focusing too much on the religions that were imported by the Europeans and the Arabs. He said that African religions are rich and their value systems were important to keeping our cultures. He stressed traditional leaders were key for the process of re-Africanization of African minds.
At the end of the day, the Sudanese delegation thanked the traditional leaders and the Government of South Africa for the warm welcome accorded to them. They expressed their wish that the process of interaction between them and their South African counterparts continue. They also expressed their support for the African Renaissance and for the bid of the South Africans to have a continental house of traditional leaders alongside the African Union.
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Deng
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست