September 24th, Heritage Day. A day of uniting and immersing in our diverse cultures, languages, religions showcasing our traditional attires, food, song, and dance. It is a time to celebrate, honor our heritage and instill a sense of pride in each and everyone of us, because that is what makes us South African.
History has not been kind to most and the struggles of the present day do not make life any simpler. In the days of high crimes, pandemics, global warming, poverty, inequality, unemployment and so forth, let us remember to be kind. Kind to ourselves and to those around us. This Heritage Day and the days to follow, let us reestablish the spirit of Ubuntu.
As we celebrate, we also need to reflect on how we have contributed to the South Africa we see today. How are you aiding the prosperity of our Rainbow Nation? Like a good shisa-nyama needs spice and marinade for that lekker touch to your lunch or dinner, our Rainbow Nation needs a conducive environment to shine brighter announcing an end to a stormy day.
In this new day, let the rhythm of the hymns revive us, let our very own cuisine enrich us, let laughter and love surround us and cultures unite even the most divided among us. What are we if not for our heritage? Who are we if not for our togetherness? We are of this land, let us be kind to it and each other so we can, like the colour of our traditional wear create a bright future for the generations to come.
One way or the other, a lot of us have dates with our braai stands, three-legged pots for the good old potjie, amagwinya, ulusu nomngqusho, biryani, pap, and boerewors etc while dancing to whatever tune that tickles our fancy this coming Saturday. Let us convey a message of unity in our diversity throughout the festivities. As most communities have elders, let the firsthand stories around the fire and the teachings continue because to know our history makes us who we are.
This Heritage Day let us bring back the spirit of unity we all showed backing the Springboks when they emerged victorious in the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final. If one brings a Bobotie and the other brings umqombothi we can make this a family affair because we are a family united under the same flag and one ‘Nkosi Sikelela iAfrica…’. Happy Heritage Day fellow South Africans.
This was such a well written piece. Congratulations to you Mandlakazi.
It truly was.