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.