SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATED HERITAGE DAY YESTERDAY - 24TH SEPTEMBER 2017

South Africa Celebrated Heritage day yesterday - Heritage Day in South Africa comes every 24th of September as a reminder of the nation’s cultural diversity and as a chance to express national unity.

The first Heritage Day was instituted in 1995, after the first free elections that spelled the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new, non-racially based democracy.

The roots of Heritage day, however, precede 1995. The 24th of September was originally simply a Zulu holiday celebrated in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. It was a remembrance to Shaka, the great chief who united the Zulu tribes into a unified nation. When a bill was being passed in 1995 by the South African parliament to establish South Africa’s official public holidays, the Zulus objected that “Shaka Day” was not included. A compromise finally kept the date but broadened the meaning to include celebration of the heritage of all South African peoples. Thus, it was renamed “Heritage Day”.

The official government definition of the “heritage” in “Heritage Day” counts it to include all that the people inherit, such as culture, history, wildlife, monuments, artwork, literature, music, folklore, languages, culinary traditions, and more. In 1996, president Nelson Mandela declared that Heritage Day would help South Africans use their “rich and varied cultural heritage“ to “build our new nation.” Each year, the government declares a special theme for that year’s Heritage Day. In 1995, for example, the theme was on Enoch Sontonga, the author of South Africa’s national anthem. His grave was declared a new national monument, and his music and life were remembered.

Should you be in South Africa for Heritage Day, you will be able to hear the president’s speech on television, learn much about the cultural heritage of various South African peoples, and enjoy the beauty of the land.

"NELSON MANDELA CAPTURE SITE" - Howick KwaZulu-Natal South Africa.

On 5 August 1962, Nelson Mandela was captured by the South African Police on the R103 about 5km outside the town of Howick in the Natal Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Mandela was posing as a chauffeur after a clandestine visit to ANC leader, Albert Luthuli to request support for an armed struggle. He had managed to evade capture for 17 months. This unassuming spot has now become a memorial to the great man.

The Apartheid Museum was responsible for bringing the project to fruition after purchasing the farm on which the memorial has been sited and employing the creative talents of Marco Cianfanelli and Jeremy Rose of Mashabane Rose Architects. Culture Mechanics curated this interactive project.

There is an exhibition of Mandela’s life and capture. Apart from the very interesting sculpture depicting Mandela’s image and his long walk to freedom, the Apartheid Museum, the uMngeni Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Heritage Council, have established the Truth Café and the Truth Store at the site and free tours are offered.

The internationally recognized Impumulelo Bead Artists are also located here. They have produced commissioned works for the Museum of Art, New York, the Malmo Museum in Sweden and the Johannesburg Art Gallery and their outstanding beadwork is on sale at the site.