NATIONAL NEWS - Heritage Day on 24 September is a public holiday that encourages people in South Africa to celebrate their cultures in a broader context because the country’s make-up is so diverse. Even gathering over a braai has added more conversation of the day.
South Africa’s history isn’t one that has been smooth, there are different beliefs, traditions and cultural heritage that adds extra weight to the pot.
So how do South African’s mark this day?
Heritage Day and Shaka Zulu:
According to SA History website, the day in KwaZulu-Natal is marked as Shaka’s Day to commemorate the iconic Zulu King Shaka Zulu.
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which is a party that has a largely Zulu membership, rejected calls to omit Shaka’s Day just before the dawn of democracy during the proposed public holidays bill discussion in the early 90s. In a compromise, an agreement was reached for an inclusive day for all South Africans to observe and celebrate their heritage.
Former President Nelson Mandela said in 1996, marking Heritage Day, the reason to mark this day is that they knew how “rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.”
In a country that has battled decades longs segregation, institutionalised racism and violence, the logic behind celebrating a unifying national heritage was simple; but how people do it has not.
Braai Day
What has been a contentious term marked on the same day, Braai Day was created in hopes of unifying through a common shared culture of having a braai in SA.
Started by Jan Braai, real name Jan Scannell, Braai4Heritage or National Braai Day, the cookbook author has sold over 140,000 copies international. Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu endorsed Braai Day in 2007, he said irrespective of our differences citizens always gather around the fire.
People feel Braai Day has hijacked and whitewashed Heritage Day and the main reason behind it, celebrating our heritage and individuality. Saying the day doesn’t necessarily do this.
This year’s theme of Heritage Day is “The year of Charlotte Maxeke: Celebrating South Africa’s Intangible Cultural Heritage”.
