ERMELO - What a Heritage Day Celebration, what a colourful celebration, what a great advertisement of the cultural diversity of South Africa.
This is how one can describe the National Heritage Day Celebration, which was held at Mpumalanga Stadium, Wesselton in Ermelo on September 24. Song, dance, poetry, art and braaing marked this year’s commemoration, which was celebrated under the theme, “Celebrating the Heroes and Heroines of the Liberation Struggle in South Africa.”
Patrons at the celebration were treated to spectacular cultural display as the different cultural groups of the Rainbow Nation gave spirited performances. It did not end there. Local fine artists from Maweni Art and Craft carried an absorbing exhibition of the liberation struggle at the entrance of the stadium. They also painted portraits of the Deputy President, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile and his deputy, Mr Joe Phaahla to form part of the exhibition.
Speaking at the event, Mr Motlanthe commended the choice of the venue for this year’s celebration primarily because Mpumalanga is a province teeming with national beauty and heritage.
“It is fitting that we host the national celebration of our heritage in Mpumalanga, a province that is endowed with the most ancient evidence of the human past. The history and heritage of this province represents the microcosm of South Africa’s richly diverse heritage today. Today we are celebrating our heritage by recognising our historical development through a succession of socio-economic formations, from communalism to capitalism. This heritage represents aspects of culture which encompass language, songs, dances, education, technology and implements, clothes, politics, religion, values and ideas that shape our broader South African identity,” said Mr Motlanthe, who was the acting president of the country while President Jacob Zuma was out of the country on official duties.
He also encouraged people to rally behind events such as the Heritage Day as they serve to foster national unity and promote cultural diversity. He said, “In all, this day, and these efforts to redefine our national heritage, should be celebrated amongst all South Africans, black and white. It should also serve to annul the misconception that national days are the sole possessions of certain national groups.”