By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
CAPE TOWN/South Africa: South Africa’s Parliament has linked this year’s Heritage Day observance to the need for stronger community action against crime, gender-based violence and other social challenges confronting the country.
The call came from Parliament’s Presiding Officers, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, who urged citizens to translate the principle of Ubuntu into everyday responsibility towards one another.
Heritage Day was observed on Thursday, September 24, under the theme, “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us.” The occasion forms part of South Africa’s annual Heritage Month observed throughout September.
Rather than limiting heritage to monuments, languages, traditions and indigenous knowledge, Parliament said the concept should also be reflected in the way citizens treat one another and in the type of society being built for future generations.
At the centre of that message is Ubuntu, a Nguni concept associated with shared humanity and mutual responsibility.
Parliament said the principle has particular relevance amid the country’s continuing challenges with gender-based violence and femicide, crime and other social problems affecting families and communities.
It stressed that violence against women and children is incompatible with the values of human dignity, mutual respect and Ubuntu.
The parliamentary leadership also placed responsibility for tackling crime beyond government and security agencies, saying communities, law enforcement, civil society and government need to work together to prevent crime as well as respond to it.
The statement noted that collective action could help build stronger and more resilient neighbourhoods, while stressing the importance of cooperation among law-abiding citizens.
The Heritage Day message also coincides with a constitutional milestone, as South Africa marks 30 years since the adoption of its Constitution in 1996. Parliament said the anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the constitutional principles underpinning the country’s democratic system.
Parliament further pointed to legislation enacted during the democratic era to protect the country’s cultural and natural heritage, including the National Heritage Resources Act, the National Heritage Council Act and the Cultural Institutions Act.
It said it would continue its oversight of the implementation of heritage legislation and the deployment of public funds for heritage protection, including efforts to safeguard heritage sites from crime.
For Parliament, however, the ultimate measure of South Africa’s living heritage goes beyond the preservation of physical sites and cultural traditions.
It said the society inherited by future generations should be one where women and children can live without fear, communities reject violence, diversity is respected and every person’s inherent dignity is protected.
The national Heritage Day theme similarly emphasised social cohesion, Ubuntu and a shared sense of belonging. President Cyril Ramaphosa, who led the national celebration, also used the occasion to stress that South Africa’s Constitution and the country’s diversity form part of the heritage that binds its people together.
Parliament called on South Africans to make Ubuntu more than a cultural ideal by incorporating its principles into their daily conduct and collective efforts to create safer and more united communities.
