The Masters of Ceremonies, the Prince of KwaZiphethe, Prince Gideon ka Mnyayiza; and the Acting Chairman of the KwaZulu Monuments Council, Mr AJ Konigkramer; His Majesty the King, King Zwelithini Goodwill ka Bhekuzulu; the Honourable the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr BS Ngubane; members of the Royal House andamaKhosi present; the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, Mr LPHM Mtshali; the Honourable Deputy Minister of Public Works, Mrs EEN ka Nkosi Shandu; the Honourable Minister of Education and Culture, Dr VT Zulu; other Honourable Members of the KwaZulu-Natal Cabinet; members of the national Parliament and members of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature; Members of the Council of Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali; Mayors, Councillors, Indunas and distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Today is a truly historic day for the province of KwaZulu-Natal, for our country, South Africa and indeed for the sub-continent of Africa. I regard it as an honour to have been asked to address you here at Umgungundlovu, which lies in a most beautiful valley, eMakhosini, which is not only the very crucible in which the Kingdom of KwaZulu was cast, but a valley in which pivotal events that shaped the history of much of Southern Africa were played out.

We have come here today to formally launch the eMakhosini project, an initiative of Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali designed to preserve the heritage of this valley and to create a tourism destination which we believe could become one of the foremost in Africa. But, before speaking about the project itself, I would like to spend a few minutes sketching the history of this beautiful valley.

KwaZulu-Natal has a history that is exciting in world terms. There is mounting evidence that Southern Africa was the cradle of modern man, homo sapiens. Our province boasts one of the most exciting archaeological sites relating to early man in Border Cave. We have one of the richest collections of stone-age art in the world within our province. And in the Zulu people we have a cultural asset of inestimable value. The word Zulu has become almost synonymous with Africa, precisely because they have left their mark not only in our country, but on the world stage.

The cradle of the Zulu people lies in this very valley. Most of the progenitors lie buried close to where we are standing today. Allow me to tell you something about them. Malandela was born in about 1597 - four hundred years ago last year. He was the forebear of Zulu, Ntombela, Phunga, Mageba, Ndaba and Jama and Senzangakhona, the father of the most famous of Zulu Kings, Shaka, Dingane, Mpande and the last of the Zulu Kings who wielded sovereign power, King Cetshwayo. Incredibly, all the graves of the illustrious forebears of the sons of Senzangakhona are buried in the eMakhosini Valley and are well preserved. There is no development near them. Also buried in the valley are King Dinuzulu and the Trekker leader, Piet Retief. I shall return to King Dinuzulu later.

Our famous King Shaka grew up at his father's homestead, eSiklebeni, which is due north of where we are standing, close to the road to Babanango. It was the young Shaka who united all the fractious Nguni clans to form the Zulu Nation as we know it today. He laid the groundwork for his power in 1818 when he defeated his arch rival, Inkosi Zwide of the Ndwandwe at the battle of Gqokli Hill on the outskirts of Ulundi near the Mfolozi emhlophe (White Mfolozi).

This epic battle was to have repercussions for the whole of Southern Africa. Not only did it result in the creation of the most powerful economic and military Kingdom on the African continent - the Kingdom of KwaZulu - but the young Shaka's victory drove out men who would leave their mark on much of the sub-continent. On the Zulu side was the young Mzilikazi, whose chequered career as founder of the Ndebele Kingdom, fighter against the Boers and finally conqueror of Zimbabwe, is known all over Africa. On the Ndwandwe side was one Zwangendaba, who was forced to flee after the defeat by Shaka's army. He fled north and founded and led the mighty Angoni army of warriors in Malawi before moving on to what is now Tanzania.

The most famous of Zwide's generals was, however, undoubtedly Soshangane. He learnt to adapt his method of fighting to those of Shaka and proved a formidable opponent. It was only the superior tactical genius of Shaka which finally led to the defeat of his forces. He fled north to Mozambique and founded the amaShangane people. Zwide himself finally ended up in what is now Swaziland.

King Shaka was assassinated in 1828 at his military iKhanda, Dukuza, in the centre of what was formerly called Stanger. His successor, King Dingane, was on the throne here at Emgungundlovu when the Zulu Kingdom's struggle against colonialism began in earnest. In 1836-37 the Boer Voortrekkers crossed the Drakensberg and began to settle in KwaZulu. King Dingane sought to drive the Voortrekkers out, but his army was defeated at Ncome (Blood River) and he was forced to flee northwards and died at Kwaliweni, on the border of KwaZulu and Swaziland.

King Mpande succeeded King Dingane in 1840 and maintained cordial relations with the Voortrekkers and the British colonists, who had established themselves south of the Thukela River. King Cetshwayo succeeded his father in 1872. He immediately set about building up the Zulu Kingdom, something the British colonists saw as an impediment to their expansionist ideas. The British invaded KwaZulu in 1879. The first invasion was repulsed at the historic battle of Isandlwana, while the coastal column was besieged at Eshowe. The Zulu army suffered defeat after the second invasion at the battle of Ulundi on July 4, 1879.

King Cetshwayo died in 1883. His son and heir, King Dinuzulu, was charged with treason by the British and banished to St. Helena. He featured in the last armed resistance to colonial rule in South Africa, the so-called Bambatha Rebellion of 1906. King Dinuzulu's only sin was that he allowed Inkosi Bambatha Zondi to seek sanctuary for his wife Siyekiwe (uMa-Zuma) and his daughter Kholekile at his Osuthu Royal Residence. This implicated King Dinuzulu. He was charged with high treason, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in Newcastle prison. In 1910 when General Louis Botha became the first Prime Minister of South Africa, he released King Dinuzulu from the Newcastle gaol. He then whisked him to 'Uitkyk' farm in Middelburg in what was then Transvaal. He lived there in exile until 1913 when he passed away. His body was carried by wagon from Middelburg to this eMakhosini Valley where his mortal remains lie buried.

Before he died, a young Zulu lawyer by the name of Dr Pixley Seme, the founder of the ANC, had approached King Dinuzulu to ask him if he would agree to be the Patron of the African National Congress. Dr Seme married King Dinuzulu's eldest daughter by his wife Mahambogwini Ndwandwe, Princess Phikisile Harriet. Their daughter, Princess Helen, lives in Ulundi today, as well as some of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

King Dinuzulu's heir and successor, King Solomon, was born by his wife, Silomo Mdlalose, together with his younger brother, Prince Arthur Edward Mshiyeni (who was to be Regent) on the Island of St Helena during King Dinuzulu's banishment on that island. Princess Constance Magogo Sibilile Mantithi Ngangezinye, was their only full sister and was born after the return of the King from exile. She was my mother. It is also interesting to know that Prince Ndabuko ka Mpande, King Cetshwayo's full brother, was also exiled with King Dinuzulu on the Island of St Helena. He was the grandfather of one of our Masters of Ceremonies, Prince Gideon. Also in exile with them was Prince Shingana ka Mpande.

Within this valley we also have the graves of Nkosinkulu and King Mpande. The former Royal Residences of King Cetshwayo and King Dingane are protected, are well preserved and partially reconstructed. Nobamba, headquarters of Ndaba and King Dinuzulu and arguably the most sacred places of the Zulu people, are known and lie within this valley. During the early part of his life, King Solomon lived at Nobamba Royal Residence before he built his Zibindini Residence.

I should like to spell out briefly what the policy of the Council of Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali is towards the eMakhosini. The policy objectives are as follows:

• conserving the ancestral burial places, the historical battlefields and other sites of archaeological, historical and cultural significance;
• reconstructing the King's capitals as monuments to the old Zulu order and providing associated cultural centres for the sustainment of amasiko;
• establishing an ecologically sustainable natural environment which will promote the historical integrity of the cultural sites;
• linking the historical sites and placing them in the context of a thematic cultural/historical tourist route, and
• maintaining the eMakhosini Valley as a regional and national heritage area.

Amafa believes that a key to achieving these objectives and to securing the cultural environmental integrity of the eMakhosini Valley in the long term, is a declaration as a Provincial Landmark in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Act. To this end we believe that what is called the core area - that is the land containing the Royal graves and other historically significant features - should be the ownership of Amafa. In addition, we believe that key parcels of land immediately adjacent to the core area should also be owned by Amafa.

To this end Amafa has already purchased just in excess of 6 415 hectares of land. Amafa already owns the land containing the burial sites of iNkosinkulu, Phunga, Mageba, Ndaba, Jama and Senzangakhona. This is a very significant achievement. Amafa wishes to acquire a further 187 799 hectares.

I have been very pleased to note that the entire project has been the subject of ongoing consultation with local communities and that Amafa plans to ensure that neighbouring communities benefit directly from the project. I was pleased to be informed that a land-use study is already in place and that local communities will also have access to grazing on Amafa land on a controlled basis.

I have also been pleased to learn that the Council, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, intends running considerable herds of Nguni cattle and that these herds will be used to re-stock community herds in many parts of the province with improved strains.

Another very important policy matter is that the entire tourism side of the project will be driven by the private sector. Here again, care will be taken to give local communities a stake in the ventures. It is planned that the tourism facilities will cover the full spectrum from up-market hotels to hiking and back- packing facilities. Zulu culture will be show-cased on a grand scale, but there will also be opportunities to experience the cultures of other people who have featured in the history of the eMakhosini Valley. There will, for example, be a facility that will feature Afrikaner culture and that will incorporate wagon trails in line with Voortrekker history.

Most exciting about this plan is that it could include undisturbed agricultural production in a traditional way that is productive and sustainable in the long term, side by side with tourist development that will bring enormous benefits without destroying the cultural asset base.

Amafa plans to reintroduce game into the valley that will run together with Nguni cattle, as was customary in former times. There is little doubt in my mind that this project has the potential to become one of the foremost tourist attractions in Southern Africa. The mix of culture, history and the environment is quite unique. And what is especially pleasing is that there is nothing artificial about it. Real Kings and great men who left their mark on history lived here and lie buried here. I know of few other places with such a rich history that are still intact. Even the ecology is much as it was centuries ago.

I wish to commend Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali for initiating this bold and imaginative project. I also wish to applaud the Minister of Education and Culture, Prince Vincent and the Cabinet of KwaZulu- Natal for supporting Amafa's initiative. I wish you much success and am sure that future generations will thank you for your foresight.

In conclusion, in formally launching this most exciting project, I wish to place on record that I and the House of Traditional Leaders fully support the eMakhosini project, both as Chairman and as uNdunankulu ka Zulu. We shall do all we can to help bring it to fruition and we are confident of success.

I thank you.