The chairperson of the Alfred Nzo Local House of Traditional Leaders Nkosi Jongilanga Sigcau met with the Ambassador of Turkey Ayesegul Kandas on 1 November 2022 to discuss the possible areas of collaboration. Central to this is rural development and strategic partnerships.
Nkosi Jongilanga Sigcau was the guest of the Ambassador during the Turkish 98th national day celebration which took place on the 31 October 2022, an event that was attended by various stakeholders including Ambassadors, members of the business sector, Deputy Ministers including Deputy Minister Hendrieta Zulu of Social Development and Deputy Minister of water and sanitation Dikeledi Magadzi who delivered the official message on behalf of government, Mayors including Mayor Daniswa Mafumbatha of Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality. The event also showcased Turkish culture through music and food.
Ambassador Kandas at the invitation of Nkosi Jongilanga Sigcau had also previously attended the 16th annual celebrations of the Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival where diverse stakeholders converged on 10-11 September 2022, at Lwandlolubomvu Great Place, Â Ntabankulu in the Mpondo Kingdom joining thousands of amaMpondo as they celebrated their culture and heritage and in promotion of unity in a diversity of cultures through cultural exchange. This colourful event was preceeded by the Mpondo Reed Dance, where mpondo maidens from various parts of the Kingdom were joined maidens from various parts of South Africa including the Ndebele Kingdom from Mpumalanga and Pedi maidens from Limpopo.
Ambassador Kandas during this colorful event was accompanied by exhibitors of Turkish culture and heritage. This to promote cultural exchange. The event also promotes cultural diplomacy and tourism.The meeting was therefore a follow up on this interaction and to explore further on areas of cooperation.
Imperative to this engagement was to discuss possible areas to  partner on that would contribute positively to rural development as well as identify opportunities. Nkosi Jongilanga Sigcau gave an extensive overview of the mandate of the Alfred Nzo Local House of Traditional Leaders and as a Senoir Teaditional Leader in the Mpondo Kingdom whilst Ambassador Kandas also narrated on her role as Ambassador and her mandate. She also elaborated on the projects that the Embassy is involved in, in various parts of South Africa.
Nkosi Sigcau alluded to the importance of cultural exchange. He also mentioned the need for investment in the following sectors namely skills development, empowerment of youth, women and schools, agriculture and tourism sector and on how the Embassy can work with Traditional Leaders in particular on rural development as a means also of job creation and poverty alleviation. These were received positively by Ambassador Kandas who expressed her commitment in contributing positively through various projects in South Africa and in learning about the different cultures of South Africa.
The Embassy of Turkey is also involved through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in building mobile libraries and green houses in various parts of South Africa. There is also hope that some schools in the Mpondo Kingdom and in the Alfred Nzo region can also benefit in this regard.
During the entrepreneur training workshop hosted by TIKA , there were also trainees from the Alfred Nzo region including Mbizana and Ntabankulu. One of the proposals is for the graduates of this training to further train other entrepreneurs in their areas. This is a project that is in the pipeline for 2023. Artists from Turkey are also expected to participate during the Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival in 2023 as part of cultural exchange. Further engagements are expected in this regard. An invitation is expected to be extended to Ambassador Kandas to address the Traditional Leaders of the Alfred Nzo Local House of Traditional Leaders.
