Your Excellencies, Honourable John Mahama, immediate past president of

Ghana; Honourable Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, immediate past Governor of

the Kano State in Nigeria and Senator of the Federal Republic; Honourable Dr.

Hon. Soomilduth Sunil Bhola, Minister for Business, Enterprise & Cooperatives;

Mr. Rameswuriall Basant Roi, Governor, Central Bank of Mauritius; and

Honourable Abubakar Malami, SAN, Nigeria's Minister of Justice and Attorney

General, all protocol observed. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.


Let me start by expressing my sincere gratitude to the African Leadership

Magazine and its International Advisory Board for deciding, in their wisdom, to

select me as the African Female Leader of the Year 2016. I am fully alive to the

fact that this would not have been possible had the Bongi Ngema Zuma

Foundation not existed and without the support of many volunteers, corporate

partners and departments of health in this country. Most of all, thank you to the

Center for Economic & Leadership Development (CELD) for making the

submission to the African Leadership Magazine, on behalf of our Foundation.


It would seem that the global community is beginning to notice our

efforts towards drastically rolling back the scourge of diabetes in South Africa

and Africa at large, by creating awareness, on the management and treatment

of diabetes in South Africa. Just over two months ago the Amazons Watch

Magazine rated me among the Top 100 Most Influential Women in the

Emerging Countries and I was given the CELD Global Inspirational

Leadership Award 2016 from Centre for Economic and Leadership

Development (CELD) in Dubai, UAE.


Statistics have shown that out of the over 14 million people in the Africa region

with diabetes, South Africa alone accounts for about 2.28 million cases, with the

figures projected to double by 2040. Our objective is to ensure that the South

African people do not end up dying due to ignorance and lack of information

about diabetes. As a Foundation, we have seen measurable progress in this

country, in the level of awareness and attitude towards diabetes.


By taking an initiative of attacking diabetes, I strongly felt it was the

kind of leadership I had to show for the wellbeing of my fellow

countrymen. I could have chosen another course, but owing to the

suffering and subsequent departure of my own mother, diabetes had to be on

the top of my list of charity priorities.

The negative effects of diabetes, like many other diseases can be felt on the

economy of the country, as employees stay off work for lengthy periods of time,

costs to the government in terms of hospitalization and disability grants eat into

the fiscus, and this leads to severe reductions in the budget allocation to other

essential services to the people.


I believe Africa can win the Progress Race, by focusing on its people – their

human rights and empowerment. Africa must realize the power in the people –

the buying power (over 1 billion of them), innovativeness (the robot was invented

in Africa), and resilience (oppression by colonial masters, droughts, and women-

led families are some of the examples that come to mind). Africa must harness

this power, develop technical skills among youth and women, boost the potential

of women to lead in politics, corporates, as well as other spheres of society.


I urge all of us to fast-track Africa’s progress. Although we cannot

necessarily go to an extent of saying it is time for “Africa First”, we all know that

we are far behind our former colonial masters in terms of socio-economic

development.

In closing, as yesterday was the National Healthy Lifestyle Day in

South Africa, let me encourage you to live healthily and ensure that people in

our countries adhere to all the elements of a healthy lifestyle, which are:

Promotion of good nutrition
Regular physical activity
Tobacco usage control
Intervention against alcohol and substance abuse
Promotion of safe sexual behaviour
“The greatest wealth is health”. – Virgil


Welcome to South Africa, and please enjoy your stay in our beautiful country!


I thank you.