1 - 31 December
Reconciliation month has a special significance for the South African nation as it promotes reconciliation, peace and social cohesion on which the country’s new democratic dispensation was founded. Cabinet encourages all South Africans to use the month to reach out to one another as the nation continues to work together to build a united and prosperous nation.
Reconciliation Day, 16 December, falls within this month. It is a day of great significance in South Africa because of two historical events that took place on that date.
In apartheid South Africa 16 December was known as Day of the Vow, as the Voortrekkers in preparation for the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838 against the Zulus took a Vow before God that they would build a church and that they and their descendants would observe the day as a day of thanksgiving should they be granted victory.
The second historical event that took place on 16 December was in 1961, when Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), was formed. Prior to its formation, the ANC had largely approached the fight against apartheid through passive resistance, but after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, where peaceful protestors were indiscriminately shot by police, passive resistance was no longer seen as an effective approach in bringing apartheid to an end. MK mostly performed acts of sabotage, but its effectiveness was hampered by organizational problems and the arrest of its leaders in 1963. Despite this, its formation was commemorated every year since 1961.
With the advent of democracy in South Africa 16 December retained its status as a public holiday. South Africa's first non-racial and democratic government was tasked with promoting reconciliation and national unity. One way in which it aimed to do this symbolically was to acknowledge the significance of 16 December in both the Afrikaner and liberation struggle traditions and to rename this day as the Day of Reconciliation. On 16 December 1995, the Day of Reconciliation was celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa for the first time.
South Africa will mark Reconciliation Day 2015 on 16 December in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape under the theme: “Bridging the divide: Building a common South African nationhood towards a national developmental state”.
Events
The Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi will deliver a keynote address at the Zola Nqini Annual Memorial Lecture at the Uitenhage Town Hall on Wednesday, 9 December 2015 at 15h00.
Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi will pay a special visit to Ekuphumleni Old Aged Home, Ezwide Township and Elizabeth Stuurman Old Aged Home, Korten Township on 10 and 11 December 2015 respectively.
Through the Department of Arts and Culture Living Legends Legacy Programme, Zwelakhe Mtshaka and Ronnie Govender will on 12 December 2015 conduct a Community Theatre Master Class, “Theatre for Development” at Gladstone House in East London, Eastern Cape. This Living Legends Legacy Programme seeks to honour the living legends across all arts disciplines for their contribution in the arts, culture and heritage sector.
The National Day of Reconciliation will be held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Mission Campus in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape on 16 December 2015 at 09:00.
On the eve of the commemoration, 15 December 2015 at 18:00, the Minister of Arts & Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, will host a panel discussion on Reconciliation at the same venue. The panel discussion will reflect on where we come from as the nation and the strides we have made towards reconciliation.
