I read a quote that says, “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there”. It was exciting to witness that this quote does not apply to the Ndebele Program as we converged around the table in Professor Dan Kgwadi’s office for a meeting held between the Kwandebele delegates, specialist team as well as the University of the North West (NWU) on the 11th of March 2019. It was a vibrate atmosphere as remarkable ideas and irrepressible enthusiasm filled the room. Milestones were revisited and the next few steps were devised towards the fulfilment of the dream to develop the Kwandebele Kingdom as conceived by King Makhosonke II.

The meeting was centered around the MOU that was signed with NWU last year on the 18th of July 2018 (Mandela Day). High on the agenda were education, agriculture and the planning of a Mining and Environmental

indaba which will be aimed at dealing with pollution in the Mpumalanga Province. The possibility of setting up a satellite campus within the Kwandebele Kingdom to serve Mpumalanga province was discussed, and NWU will be taking the lead. It was agreed that agriculture is an important factors in development and it was expressed that the ultimate goal is to get the Kingdom and the Mpumalanga Province to be a good food producer as well as food security bank from the available land belonging to the Ndebele Kingdom and the possibility in water resource development in the area.

As we approach the first anniversary of the MOU signing, I am excited to see where our feet will land next and the impact that this program will produce in the near future. The relationship between the different teams is encouraging considering that there is power in unity. Going ahead I look forward to great things, watch the space.