The Girl from Limpopo, that is how I remember Mokgadi Seemola, the 16 year-old girl from the Limpopo Province, South Africa. A member of the UNICEF GEB/BEM, she gave a powerful voice for the children and young people at the COP17/CMP7 in Durban, South Africa. During the Inter-generational Inquiry held last December 1, she silenced UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and the rest of the Inter-generational Inquiry Panel when she delivered a powerful message extolling world leaders, climate negotiators, and observers to think for the future of the children of the world. At the end of her speech, she received minutes of standing ovation from Figueres and the Panel and the people inside of Levubu River Room at the DEC, ICC Durban.

It was wowing and an astounding speech! I have to admit I was somehow regretting that I was not able to do that when I was 16 years old. Where was I when I was at the same age as her? In school. There were no opportunities that was given to us back then. I am happy that Mokgadi and the rest of the UNICEF Girls and Boys Education Movement (GEB/BEM) and the  child and youth delegates of party members are more fortunate that they were able to attend the COP to be able to make the voices of children and young people be heard by party members. Indeed they are the conscience of the climate negotiations. The sad outcome of the negotiations will greatly affect the children and young people of today and tomorrow.

It is also important to note that the youngest delegate to the COP17 is a 12 year-old girl from India. Surprise! Her fellow child delegate shared how they were selected by their government to attend to the climate negotiations. According to the young boy, a nationwide competitive examination was initiated by the Government of India. Out of the examinations, four were selected to come to Durban and join the rest of the Indian Government Delegation that included their Minister of Environment, Her Excellency Jayanthi Natarajan. On the side note, an interesting trivia about Seemola is that she and COP President Maite Emily Nkoana-Mashabane came from the same Province of Limpopo, South Africa.

Just I may add, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Health is also from Limpopo. But most significantly that I have discovered in my research, Limpopo is also the home of the Rain Queen, the traditional ruler of the Balobedu People's of the former Kingdom of Modjadji. She is believed to have possessed the power to produce rain for her people and the land she possesses.

In an article by Prominent People (www.prominentpeople.co.za/modjadji-queen.aspx):

Queen Modjadji is a direct descendant of the once powerful royal house of Monomotapa, which ruled over the Karanga people in Zimbabwe in the 15th and 16th centuries. Rider Haggard's classical novels King Solomon's Mines and She drew the world's attention to the legendary Rain Queen of the Balobedu Peoples.

The Kingdom of Modjadji situated in the Limpopo Province comprises of a rural community of over 150 villages. The Balobedu Kingdom has got a population of more than a million people. Apart from her ruling duties, Modjadji has got the duty of providing her nation with rain.

Many legends are told about the origins of Queen Modjadji. According to one of the most acceptable versions an old Karanga chief from the Kingdom of Monomotapa (south-eastern Zimbabwe), was told by his ancestors in the 16th century that he must impregnate his daughter, Dzugundini. This would bestow on the princess rainmaking powers, which would expand the wealth of his kingdom. This princess was called Modjadji or "ruler of the day".

Early In the 19th century Modjadji's tribe, known as the Balobedu, moved further south into the fertile Molototsi Valley, where they founded present day Ga-Modjadji.

According to custom, the Queen must eschew public functions. She communicates to her people via her male councillors and indunas, village headmen. In November of every year she directs the annual rainmaking ceremony at her royal compound in Khetlhakone village. The queen never marries, but she bears children by her close relatives. She is cared for by her 'wives', which are sent from the many villages in Ga-Modjadji. When she is nearing death, she appoints her eldest daughter as her successor and then she ingests poison.

For centuries many tribes have respected the Queen's powers. Even Shaka Zulu sent his top emissaries to request the Queen's blessings. With the influence of Christian missionaries, many of these traditional customs have been discontinued. In June 2001 both the ruling Queen and her eldest daughter passed away.