Programme director,
Members of our provincial legislature,
MEC Nandi Ndalani and other MECs present,
Executive Mayors and Mayors of our Local Municipalities,
The Acting Director General of the province, Ntate Pheme Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am pleased to join the people of Limpopo to celebrate this all- important day in our national calendar, the National Heritage Day. I am even more pleased to celebrate this day with and amongst the beautiful people of Lephephane.
This day is not an ordinary day for South Africans, in particular for those who share in our commitment to build a truly united South Africa in a true rainbow style. I must state upfront that this day is not the National Braai Day or anything of that sort. While we cannot stop people from braaing their meat on this day, we surely must not allow the significance of this day to be lost on to some Braai-stands. This day is much bigger than that.
In the language of former President Nelson Mandela ”when our...government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation”.
It is on this day, that; we are called upon and encouraged to celebrate our diverse cultural traditions, our beliefs, our icons and national symbols. We use this day, to remind ourselves of the fact that the beauty of our nation is found in our diversity.
Our province is a melting pot of cultural diversity which constitutes a significant portion of our shared heritage. In this province ons praat Afrikaans, we speak English, se somela isiNdebele, re bolela Sepedi, hi vulavula Xitsonga, ri amba Tshivenda. In Limpopo re bina dinaka, hi cina xibelani, ri tshina malende na tshikona. No one can take this from us, it is our common heritage, and it is our pride.
In the past our diversity would not only have been a reason for divisions but it would also have been a reason for inter-tribal conflict. In the language of one of our most celebrated poet and anti- apartheid activist, Mzwakhe Mbuli we know that „people need not to look the same in order to be equal, neither do we have to look like tooth or like eggs in order to be equal‟.
In this province we have destructed the apartheid apparatus of tribal segregation. The people of this province have healed themselves from the chronic illusions of superiority of one tribe over the other. We know, as Martin Luther King Junior would have wanted us to know, that if we do not live together as brothers and sisters, we will perish together as fools.
The truth is that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are gifted with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of common brotherhood. It is for this reason that our government has worked very hard to demolish the shameful and imaginary boarders that kept our people from each other.
I must say however Programme director, that I am deeply pained to see some in our province, who have found a sudden motivation to paste stickers depicting the old Venda and Gazankulu flags on their cars. I have noticed this tendency; I am worried by this tendency; but most importantly, I do not believe that those who play in this fashion know exactly what they are doing.
Ours is a Republic of South Africa. Our constitution says that South Africa is one, sovereign and democratic state. There is only one common South African citizenship; one National Anthem and indeed only one National Flag.
The South African flag must be found in each and every household, it is our collective birthmark, and no one should be without it. The same is with our National Anthem; our children from elementary school must be taught how to recite our national anthem.
It is also my take that an average South African must at a minimum be able to speak at least one African language which is not his mother tongue. For us in Limpopo, we actually can speak all African languages spoken in this province without a hassle. This will promote and advance common South African patriotism.
Programme director;
The theme of this year‟s heritage day “Celebrating 20 Years of Democracy: Tell Your Story that Moves South Africa Forward”, reminds us of the mile stones we have travelled since the dawn of democracy. I am convinced that our creative industry will embrace this theme; in particular the challenge to tell a story that moves South Africa forward.
I know that story telling is an inherent part of the heritage of the people of South Africa. From time immemorial, South Africans have always mastered the art of telling their story through music, drama, song and dance.
If you do not take up this challenge, some people from outside the boarders of this country will tell this story on your own behalf. You must know what they say, that the story of the hunt will always praise the hunter.
I challenge our creative community to produce films, to write songs, books and poems about our past twenty years of our freedom and democracy. We want you to capture this story accurately and objectively for the benefit of generations to come. It is important to remember that the South African story of the past 20 years is not just about the successes of the government.
Our story is actually about ordinary men and women who have collectively risen from the ashes of apartheid doldrums on to the glitters of world stages.
Programme director,
As government we have committed ourselves to using art and culture to overcome the economic and political barriers that continue to define the face of our nation. We appreciate that it is through art and culture that our people can be drawn closer to each other and able to understand each other better.
We have therefore accepted the obligation to support the arts and culture industry that will contribute to sustainable economic development. We also acknowledge the living reality that art and culture is a universal language which is spoken by South Africans of all races, classes and social backgrounds.
It is against this background that we are committed to ensuring that art and culture contributes to the ideals of nation building and social cohesion.
Programme director;
In conclusion, I want to wish all the people of Limpopo well in your celebration of this day, I am confident that you will celebrate peacefully and responsibly, remembering that tomorrow is still a day.
I thank you!
