The national celebrations will take place at the Galeshewe Stadium under the theme, “Celebrating our Human Treasures by Asserting our African Identity”. If you are not in the Northen Cape – just have a braai.
National Heritage Day is also know as Braai Day and all South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their cultural traditions in the wider context of the diversity of cultures, beliefs, and traditions that make up the South African nation.
The Braai4Heritage initiative encourages all South Africans to have a braai on 24 September as a way of celebrating our diversity.
Heritage Day is one of the newer South African public holidays. The day was previously known as Shaka Day, and was only celebrated in KwaZulu-Natal. It was changed to National Heritage Day in 2004 when a compromise was reached between the new government and the Inkatha Freedom Party.
Meanwhile government has called on all South Africans from all backgrounds to join these national celebrations as part of efforts to restore “the dignity, citizenship and identity of all citizens.
“South Africans have a responsibility to celebrate this Heritage Day moving from the premise that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in its diversity,” said the Presidency.
The celebrations are in in line with the constitutional injunction to ensure that as a nation South Africa helps heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.
It is also in line with laying the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law, as well as to improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.
It also aims to build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
Government has called on citizens to promote their African identity by dressing up in their traditional outfits (Springbok jerseys in included), to share knowledge of cultures and learn a new African language as part of celebrating the country’s living heritage.
