Programme director
The Ambassador of Cuba, His Excellency Mr Angel Villa Hernandez
The Ambassador of Angola, His Excellency Mr Miguel Gasper Fernandes Neto
The Tanzania High Commissioner, Her Excellency Ms Radhia NM Msuya
The Charge d’Affairs of Saharawi Democratic People’s Republic, Mr Omar Mahomed
Our esteemed representative from the Botswana High Commissio, Mr Sello Mothlabane
Members of the Limpopo Executive Council here present
Honourable members of the Provincial Legislature
The Chairperson of the House of Traditional Leaders, Kgoshi Makgeru and all other esteemed traditional leaders and healers – the custodians of our heritage;
The Executive Mayor of Waterberg District
Municipality, Cllr. L Gwangwa
The Mayor of Lephalale, Cllr. Rosinah Mogotlane
All other mayors and councillors present here today
Members of the respective civic organisations
Religious leaders from the various denominations
The Head of Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mme Desiree Tlhoaele and other HOD’s here present
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Comrades and friends
All protocol observed
On behalf of the Limpopo Provincial Government, I wish to welcome all present here today. We appreciate the presence of the diplomatic corps from our sister countries. It is also heart-warming to note the large presence of local guests. Today, we are united in our diversity! We appreciate this coming together of all cultures and creeds, to celebrate the heritage of our beautiful country – our motherland!
Premier Cassel Mathale would have been here with us today, had it not been for prior arranged pressing national engagements. However, he sends his greetings along with those of the President of our country, Mr Jacob Zuma, who is addressing our fellow countrymen at the Moses Mabidha Stadium in Durban today.
About three months ago, South Africa was in the midst of hosting thousands of international guests at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. During this time, we had the unique opportunity as South Africans, to showcase and promote our cultural expressions and diverse heritage.
We were showing the world how we have evolved as a nation, who, before the birth of our democracy in 1994, was divided on all social levels – something which we dare not return to.
We have become a living, dynamic example of a unified nation, regardless of its differences, who has laid a firm cornerstone for unity on the whole of the African continent.
Programme drector,
The hosting of the World Cup and the collective participation, contribution and excitement of all South Africans - as well as from our brothers and sisters from the African continent – has aided in the collective nation-building effort of the past 16 years of our democracy, as well as our continued efforts for African unity. As in the past, our neighbours have stood up and supported us in our endeavours, as they had done in the past. This invaluable support can be seen again today, with the presence of our esteemed guests from all over the African continent.
Support for the hosting of the FIFA World Cup saw all South Africans, from the cities and the suburbs to the most rural parts of this country, come together. Everyone had a hand in the successful hosting of this massive tournament and we need not be humble about it!
We have reason to celebrate and congratulate ourselves with this valiant and successful effort. Let us keep record of all these successes for osterity. We are confident that future generations will continue to reap the benefits of a legacy crafted by 45 million people.
However, the immediate benefits of the World Cup can already be seen, especially in the way the sporting spectacular has united our people and has given them a common goal and vision. t had been business unusual in the run-up to the event, when we all stood as one behind our National Team in the Football Friday Campaign and the way we treasured and displayed our national flag in the Fly the Flag campaign.
Our national flag is a tangible and absolute testimony to how a country can come together as one, through many trials and tribulations. It should remain close to our hearts and flown with pride.
Programme drector,
Now is the time to cement these principles of pride and patriotism; of unity and cohesion. The momentum gained in this regard, during the World Cup need to be kept up.
The spirit of Ubuntu, that was displayed and seemed to have characterised South Africa during June and July 2010, needs to be sustained. Now is the ideal time to drive home our continuous campaign for social cohesion and nation-building.
Let us therefore take hands to create a new environment where we can move forward together as brothers and sisters and keep our eyes on what we need to achieve to take our country forward. This spirit of togetherness, felt during the World Cup, has to remain.
Having said all that, it is clear that we, ourselves, have now become an inseparable part of the history of South Africa.
We, who have been witness to this era of renewed national pride and unity, have become living human treasures, who can one day bear testimony of what we have seen and experienced in the year of 2010 a year in which all nations came to our shores as strangers, but left as friends. We will be telling our children’s children how we were united in our purpose.
Comrades and friends,
Allow me to elaborate on this concept of living human treasures that I have alluded to. This month of September, that marks the celebration and promotion of our heritage, also allows us to cknowledge those men and women who have a lot to teach us about our history and culture. They come from all walks of life and may have either acquired or learned knowledge.
We therefore take this opportunity to pay tribute to those whom we call the “living human treasures - the custodians of our intangible cultural heritage”.
They are there, in our communities, but it is up to us to get to know them. It is up to us to learn from them how to cling to the values that make us better people and discard that which will divide us. We acknowledge our living legends, who have a ountain of indigenous, cultural, artistic and historical knowledge and who continue to protect and preserve this knowledge for future generations.
This knowledge manifests in a wide range of intellectual and cultural practices such as indigenous knowledge systems, language, erforming and visual arts, social practices, cultural rituals and story-telling, to name but a few.
The unfortunate reality is that due to various external factors and especially globalistion, there are significant pressures on the practising of our cultures and traditions. Former ways of life and communalism are disappearing and are being replaced by new and foreign value systems. It is therefore imperative to safeguard and uphold these practices and ensure that our living heritage is recognised and recorded at all cost.
Programme drector,
We already recognise that the values emanating from our historic ways of life, have a huge impact on the social dynamics of our multi-cultural and modernisd country.
In these cultural values lie the way in which we can take this country forward; how we can curb iolence against women and children; drug abuse; crime and intolerance and how we can find ways of further uniting our people and create a better life for all.
I therefore wish to implore all of us here today to make it a point of identifying such living human treasures in our communities and learning from them as much as possible. Our respected traditional leaders, traditional health practitioners, family and community elders, and everybody who can contribute valuable information, can also assist in this regard. They are the true custodians of our heritage. We are confident that, working together, we can do more to create a never-ending fountain of knowledge that will be useful for future generations.
Programme drector,
The ideal is for the protection and promotion of all cultures. While we strive for national unity of purpose, a homogenous culture in this country is not the ultimate goal. Instead, the unremitting practising of all cultures – even those that were not recognised before – is high on the agenda, flowing from the ideals of the Freedom Charter that:
“The doors of culture and learning shall be opened. The government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life. All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by free exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands. The aim of education shall be to teach the youth to love
their people and their culture, to honour human brotherhood, liberty and peace.”
We are elated to see the coming together of all cultures today and we wish to continue to do so. South Africa belongs to ALL who live in it – regardless of race, colour or creed. Before we can be Pedi’s, Shangaan’s, Venda’s, Afrikaners and Ndebele’s – we are first and foremost South Africans.
In closure, pogramme drector,
Our wish is that today’s celebrations will find meaning and sentiment in the hearts of all citizens of this Province. Let us go beyond this day and this month in the appreciation of our precious heritage. Let us teach our children our ways and encourage them to not shy away from their culture or their mother tongues.
Let us teach them respect and pride for our beautiful national flag and national anthem that symbolise all the positive aspects of this country.
Let’s help them to become useful citizens, to love one another, learn all there is from one another and share this unique country. They can take the ower into their young hands for a peaceful environment, where we can live, learn and be together as one.
Let us freely exchange ideas and live exemplary to the codes and standards of our cultures, to ensure that our heritage is preserved. We have the opportunity to freely exchange ideas and practices with our African neighbours and with all other nations, in order to broaden our horizons. There is a wealth of indigenous knowledge to share with each other.
We have experienced this, first-hand, in China, where the people greatly value their cultures and traditions and have much to share with us.
Let us enjoy the rest of the day’s festivities and cultural treasures on display. Today is a day for singing, dancing and getting to know each other. Let us therefore join hands, rejoice and celebrate our coming together!
I thank you!
Source: Limpopo Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
