Hon House Chair and hon members, our material heritage which is tangible, and our immaterial heritage which is intangible are embedded in the earthly and spiritual world respectively. The spiritual and earthly realms are, however, each other's image. This reality is embodied in the maxim "As above, so below".
In other words, if we know ourselves and our environment we can know and respect the origins and nature of the spiritual or intangible reality that informs our spiritual and material existence. This is important because self-knowledge is a key requirement for holistic, - that is, spiritual and material - human development.
The underdevelopment of black people and Africans in particular resulted, first and foremost, from the forcible deprivation of their intangible heritage, land and the natural resources from which they derived sustenance from time immemorial.
Heritage month is a time of renewal or rebirth of our identity and values, and a rededication to what makes us human. It is a time to recover our humanity and its values and principles of equality, freedom and justice for all. September is described as Heritage Month, because it offers us the opportunity to understand our origins, identity and interrelationships between our spiritual and material existence.
It also assists us to understand the critical importance of social cohesion and nation-building, and rural development and agrarian land reform as priorities for the current term of President Jacob Zuma's administration. This strategic priority affords us an opportunity to restore our indigenous knowledge systems for sustainable development. Hon House Chair, it is so noisy that I cannot continue.
Hon members, order please!
The founders of our democracy understood their spirituality and its relationship with the land and therefore waged protracted struggles to defend both. Even today we still have sacred spaces which require protection, for example the Motoulong and Makhakha caves in the Free State.
Our icon, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, traces the relationship between the ANC and the church back to the 1870s, when the Ethiopian Church Movement was formed as a response to the rapid land dispossession from the 1800s. The African clergy sought to free themselves from the fetters of the missionaries by establishing African independent churches that came to be known as Ethiopian churches.
The role that the missionaries played in the accelerated African land dispossession of the late 19th century called for a response from the African people in general and from African spiritual and religious leaders in particular. The response took a political form, on the one hand, and a spiritual form, on the other.
On the spiritual side, the response was sparked by racially discriminatory practices and the suppression of the African cultural heritage in the missionary churches. This led to the secession of the African clergy from missionary churches and the founding of the Ethiopian churches. The first breakaways were that of Nehemiah Tile, who founded the Thembu National Church in 1884. The most notable breakaway was that of Mangena Mokone, called the Ethiopian Church of Africa, which was founded in Marabastad, Pretoria, in 1892.
The Ethiopian movement was both a spiritual and a political movement. Though its fundamental basis was the African interpretation of the scriptures, it went well beyond the churches it had helped produce.
The fundamental tenets of the Ethiopian movement were self-worth, self- reliance and freedom. African people were forcibly deprived of these values by colonialism and cultural imperialism. Thus, the wars of resistance and later the struggles for freedom included the struggle for the recovery of the African humanity and its inherent values of self-worth, self-reliance, self-help and a sense of development and progress.
These tenets therefore drew the Ethiopian Christians like a magnet to the growing Pan-African nationalism of the early 20th century. This Pan-African movement was to produce provincial native congresses, which culminated in the formation of the South African Native National Congress in 1912, renamed the African National Congress in 1923. It is in this sense that our icon, Nelson Mandela, traces the seeds of the formation of the ANC to the Ethiopian movement of the 1890s.
The Ethiopian Christians fought alongside traditional communities during the Bambatha Rebellion, which marked the end of the wars of resistance and the birth of liberation politics.
In his speech to the Free Ethiopian Church of Southern Africa in Potchefstroom on 14 December 1992, the honourable Nelson Mandela had this to say on heritage:
The centenary of the Ethiopian Church should have been celebrated throughout the length and breadth of our country, because it touches all the African people irrespective of their denomination or political outlook.
He went on to say that:
The Ethiopian Church is the only surviving institution that is in the hands of the African people. This is a remarkable feature for which we have to give credit to the leaders of this church throughout the difficult years of final dispossession of the people. Indeed, our people were not dispossessed only of their land and cattle, but also of their pride, their dignity and their institutions.
The honourable Nelson Mandela also appreciated the positive role that our religious heritage can play to advance social cohesion and nation-building.
In his lecture titled "Renewal and Renaissance: Towards a New World Order", delivered at the Oxford Centre for Islamic studies on 11 July 1997, Mandela pointed out that religion could provide spiritual leadership in bringing about the social renewal of our continent and the world. He observed, quite correctly, that African history had also been profoundly shaped by the interplay between these three great religious traditions: Islam, Christianity and African religion. He went on to say that the way in which these great religions of Africa interacted and co-operated with one another, could have a profound bearing on the social space we create for the rebirth of our continent.
Last, but not least, Mandela observed that the relationship of Islam and Christianity to one another and of these two to African religion may be pertinent aspects of the African rebirth and renewal. He called on Muslims to harness the more inclusive strands in their own theological heritage in order to contribute to a more humane Africa, acknowledging the humanity of those traditions that are unique to the continent.
In this regard, Nelson Mandela observed:
As with other aspects of its heritage, African traditional religion is increasingly recognised for its contribution to the world. No longer seen as despised superstition which had to be superseded by superior forms of belief, today its enrichment of humanity's spiritual heritage is acknowledged. The spirit of ubuntu, that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings, has added globally to our common search for a better world.
In conclusion, Mandela observed the strength of interfaith solidarity in action against apartheid, which enabled each religion to bring its best forward and place it at the service of all. He then challenged all the religions of the continent to walk a similar path in the reconstruction and renewal of our continent.
In the struggle for preservation and development of our natural heritage, African people were not only degraded and dehumanised, but were also forcibly deprived of their land and its resources, which formed the basis of their natural heritage. The convener of the founding conference of the ANC and an advocate of unity and co-operation, Pixley ka Isaka Seme, responded by buying farms in the Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga, to promote agriculture and ensure food security.
Seme's initiative was so successful that the white farmers called on the union government to take away land from African people and prohibit them from buying farms.
This was achieved through the enactment of the Land Act of 1913, which only allocated 7% of the total land surface of South Africa to African people. This percentage was increased to 13% in 1936. African people were then forced into native reserves, which were too small and barren for agriculture and livestock.
The loss of land and its natural resources deprived Africans of skills in farming and indigenous knowledge systems and their underlying intangible heritage. This denied Africans the means for self-help, self-reliance and survival. Thus, Africans were forced to become mine, farm and domestic workers and to live in shacks and single-sex hostels.
The resulting inhumane situation sparked off popular struggles for the recovery of African humanity, national pride, identity, self-determination, human and people's rights. Thus, the Ethiopian and Pan-African struggles of our forebears were intertwined.
No wonder that the founders of our democracy were both religious and political leaders. The founding president of the ANC, John Langalibalele Dube for instance, called for a spiritual, humane and prosperous Africa as early as 1892. In 1905, Seme not only echoed these values, but also called for a unique civilization for Africa and Africans. The third president of the ANC, Z R Mahabane, articulated what became the ANC moral vision in his 1921 speech titled: "We are not political children".
Mahabane observed that African people were landless, voteless, homeless, hopeless, degraded and dehumanised by colonialism and cultural imperialism. He maintained that in such circumstances the ANC had to strive to restore the humanity of the African people as a prerequisite for the restoration of the humanity of the people of South Africa as a whole. Thus, the 1923 ANC national conference adopted the first bill of rights on the African continent, which reclaimed the African humanity and the participation of African people in the economy. This Bill was amplified by the 1943 Africans' Claims and the 1955 Freedom Charter, which laid the foundation of a value-centred postapartheid society.
The Freedom Charter was adopted under the stewardship of Inkosi Albert Luthuli, a worker, a lay priest in the Congregational Church, and a cultural and traditional leader. Luthuli also reaffirmed the need for the unique African civilisation propounded by Seme.
The African national liberation struggles were informed by spiritual, cultural and material conditions, including land dispossession. Thus, the struggle for land started long before the founding of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Ubuntu values and principles found their way into both the 1993 and the 1996 Constitutions. This prompted President Zuma to say that we wanted to build a society based on ubuntu values and principles. The strategy and tactics document, adopted at the Polokwane conference, mainstreamed the spiritual philosophy of ubuntu and its inherent values of human solidarity, equality, freedom and justice for all. It calls for the creation of a truly united, democratic and prosperous South Africa in which the value of all citizens is measured by their common humanity without regard to race, gender and social status.
On 23 September 2008, President Zuma delivered the Gert Sibande Memorial Lecture in Secunda where he asked the gathering to honour the memory of Gert Sibande, a revolutionary leader, by remembering that he was a rural activist who stood for the distribution of land to many rural people who were exploited by farmers.
Gert Sibande's life, therefore, was about the fundamental changing of the socioeconomic relations between farmers and farmworkers. He stood for the redistribution of land to those who worked it.
In conclusion, the President stated that September, our Heritage Month, "... marks the beginning of Ramadan for the Muslim communities, the beginning of the New Year for Jewish and African communities. Many African indigenous churches, for example the Zion Christian Church in Moria, also celebrate their New Year in September."
The President used his memorial lecture to congratulate all cultural and religious communities, which had been celebrating their festivals, and invited all South Africans, both black and white, to take part in Heritage Month celebrations. At the Presidential Religious Summit, held on 27 November 2008, President Zuma told the delegates that, I quote:
Nation-building and achieving social cohesion are some of the most important responsibilities of the ruling party. Central to the two tasks is the need to reaffirm and recommit to the moral vision and the value system of our nation, as outlined in various historical documents and the Constitution of the land. The ANC has always valued the interaction with faith communities because its history and moral vision are rooted in the religious sector.
We, therefore, would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mcebisi Xundu on his election as President of the National Interfaith Leaders Council.
September marks the beginning of a new year rooted in the spirituality of many ancient nations, including those of Africans, which transcend race, class and gender. The African New Year, in particular, provides a home- grown framework for cultural and agricultural festivals which are necessary for inculcating moral, social and economic values in our children. The adoption and mainstreaming of the African and related calendars would realign our spiritual and material existence and make us a truly value- centred society.
We need new ways of celebrating our national holidays and of using them as instruments for imparting moral and social values to our youth. A short exposition of the African calendar will illustrate the desired realignment of our spiritual and material existence.
The African calendar embodies the intangible heritage of African people that cannot and will not be understood without African history and languages. Sir Seretse Khama, the first president of Botswana and the paramount chief of Bamangwato, emphasised the importance of reclaiming our cultural heritage in emphatic terms:
We were taught sometimes in a very positive way to despise ourselves and our ways of life. We were made to believe that we had no past to speak of, no history to boast of. It seemed we were in for a definite period of foreign tutelage without any hope of our ever again becoming our own masters. The end result of all this was that our self-pride and our self- confidence were badly undermined.
Sir Seretse Khama challenged us to:
... try to retrieve what we can of our past. We should write our own history books to prove that we did have a past that was just as worth writing and learning about as any other. We must do this for the simple reason that a nation without a past is a lost nation, and a people without a past is a people without a soul. [Applause.]
The African soul is embedded in its intangible heritage that calls for our attention today.
Western philosophers and scholars succeeded in convincing us and the world that we have no history and heritage by cutting us off from the ancient Ethiopian and Egyptian past and by attributing the achievements of Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, and Mero and Aksum in Ethiopia to foreigners. It is for this reason that Cheikh Anta Diop said that the history of Africa would not be complete until it was connected to that of Egypt. Pixley ka Isaka Seme connected it in his public lecture titled, "The Regeneration of Africa in 1905". To these ancient monuments, Nelson Mandela added Carthage, Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe. Near home, we have Lwandali in Tshiendeulu and Thulamela.
The most decisive affinity between the ancient Egyptian, tangible and intangible heritage and our own can be found in the languages, religions, astral sciences and indigenous knowledge systems.
There is "ntu" in ubuntu, punt(u) and bunntu or BNNT. In Africa, south of the Sahara, there are about 400 languages and 2 000 dialects - belonging to the Bantu family of languages from which the ancient Egyptian language was derived. By neglecting our indigenous languages, we lose our soul, our past and our intangible heritage. Language and religion are also motive forces for nation-building and social cohesion. We can preserve indigenous African languages by making it compulsory that every person studying for a degree and every person who wants to enter the public service has to learn one indigenous African language. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Agb Voorsitter, as ons kyk na wat ons tasbare en ontasbare kulturele erfenis insluit, kan ons inderdaad daarop trots wees dat ons met so 'n verskeidenheid gesen is. Ons het 'n ryk erfenis met uiteenlopende kulture, gebruike, tradisies, geskiedenisse en tale. Erfenisdag is die viering van hier die kleurryke verskeidenheid.
Die viering van ons erfenis gaan egter nie net oor die eie kulture van afsonderlike groepe nie, maar veelal ook oor uitreiking oor verskillende kultuurgrense heen. Elemente van nasionale eenheid, nasiebou en sosiale kohesie staan sentraal tot hierdie viering.
In die tema van vandag, val die fokus op die viering van ons tasbare en ontasbare erfenis om sosiale kohesie te bevorder.
Ten einde te besin oor die rol van erfenis in die bevordering van sosiale kohesie, moet daar ook gestel word dat erfenis veel meer as kommoditeite is. Erfenis bring ook die identiteit en waardigheid van individue en gemeenskappe tot uitdrukking. Dit is juis deur die ontasbare erfenis waar daar inhoud en sin aan die tasbare erfenis gegee word.
Die ontasbare erfenis sluit meer in as die eng definisie wat verwys na sang, dans, volksverhale, en orale vertellings. Dit verwys ook na sosiale waardes en tradisies, gebruike en praktyke, estetiese en spirituele oortuigings, artistieke uitdrukking, taal en ander aspekte van menslike aktiwiteite. Die betekenis van fisiese artifakte kan teen die agtergrond van sosio-ekonomiese, politiese, religieuse en filosofiese waardes van 'n spesifieke groep mense vertolk word. Uiteraard is dit moeiliker om ontasbare kulturele erfenis te bewaar as om fisiese voorwerpe te bewaar.
Dit is inderdaad ook so dat die waarde van kulturele erfenis tot 'n groot mate onderskat word. Ontwikkeling word dikwels gesien as 'n suiwer tegnologies en ekonomiese uitdaging met 'n onderbeklemtoning of totale miskenning van die ekonomiese waarde van kultuur en die feit dat waardevolle kennis opgesluit l in die diverse kulturele erfenisse van Suid- Afrika se mense.
Kulturele erfenis, beide tasbaar en ontasbaar, is 'n wonderlike hulpbron. Dit kan mense bemagtig, en dit kan mense beheer oor hul lewens teruggee. Dit kan mense se waardigheid herstel en het die moontlikheid om swaarkry en armoede te verlig.
Dit is dus uiters prysenswaardig en selfs edel om ons kulturele erfenis in diens van sosiale kohesie te stel. Maar as ons eerlik wil wees en werklik ernstig wil wees oor die viering van ons tasbare en ontasbare kulturele erfenis vir sosiale kohesie, dan is daar kritiese vrae wat beantwoord moet word. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Dr A LOTRIET: Hon Chairperson, when we look at what is included with regard to our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, we can indeed be proud that we have been blessed with such diversity. We have a rich heritage with diverse cultures, practices, traditions, histories, and languages. Heritage Day is a celebration of this colourful diversity.
Celebrating our heritage, however, is not only about embracing the inherent cultures of distinct groups, but is, in fact, often about reaching out across the different cultural boundaries as well. Elements of national unity, nation-building, and social cohesion are central to this celebration.
In line with today's theme, the focus is on celebrating our tangible and intangible heritage in order to promote social cohesion.
Reflecting on the role that heritage plays in the promotion of social cohesion, it has to be stated that heritage includes more than just mere commodities. Heritage is also an expression of the identity and dignity of individuals and communities. It is precisely through intangible heritage that substance and meaning is given to tangible heritage.
Intangible heritage includes more than the narrow definition with reference to song, dance, folktales, and oral narratives. It also refers to social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language, and other aspects of human activities. The meaning of physical artefacts can be interpreted in context of the socio-economic, political, religious, and philosophical values of a specific group of people. It stands to reason that it is harder to preserve intangible cultural heritage than physical objects.
It is indeed a fact that the value of cultural heritage is to a large extent also underestimated. Often, development is perceived as a purely technological and economic challenge, underestimating or disregarding the economic value of culture and the fact that there is valuable knowledge inherent in the diverse cultural heritage of the people of South Africa.
Cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, is a wonderful resource. It can empower people, once again giving them control over their lives. It can restore people's dignity and has the potential to alleviate hardship and poverty.
It is, therefore, highly commendable and even noble to employ our cultural heritage to attain social cohesion. But, if we want to be honest and really serious about celebrating our tangible and intangible cultural heritage to bring about social cohesion, then there are critical questions that have to be answered.]
Firstly, what is social cohesion? Do we all have the same sense of what it means? Do we all attach the same value to it? Secondly, we have to look at the scorecard. How successful has our cultural heritage been in promoting social cohesion? Can we indeed talk of social cohesion in South Africa?
Let us first look at what social cohesion is. It is a concept that we often encounter in many departmental documents such as policies and reports, as well as speeches. I wonder, however, how many people have actually asked what it is. Social cohesion can be seen as the glue that binds a society together. It has to do with social relations, norms, values and identities. Social cohesion is central to the social because it is impossible to have interactive social beings, collective identities and the social world without social cohesion. Social cohesion is reflected by the degree of harmony, co-operation and mutual respect that exist within a society.
The question then is: To what extent has social cohesion been achieved by means of celebrating our cultural heritage? In attempting to answer this question, we have to look at what the indicators are for social cohesion and how cultural heritage has or has not promoted it. The first indicator is a sense of belonging. Can it in all honesty be proclaimed that every citizen in this country experiences a sense of belonging - a sense, in the individual, of this is my country and I am welcome here, regardless of my race, my religion, my language, my own cultural heritage?
Is this sense of belonging fostered and nurtured by how elements of heritage are promoted and protected? Belonging also refers to identity, and part of one's identity refers to one's national identity. It is very easy to say that we are all South Africans, but it rings hollow when we hear of one's South African identity being judged in terms of the political party one belongs to. This was the case last week when a statement was made by a member of the ANC that voting DA means you do not want to be a part of South Africa and Africa. When your commitment to the country is judged on the basis of your party affiliation, there can be no claim of social cohesion. If there is no sense of belonging created by how we accommodate all the different cultural elements and identities in our heritage, we are not working towards belonging, but towards isolation and marginalisation.
Secondly, social cohesion requires inclusion. Inclusion concerns equal opportunities of access as well as the sense of being included and being represented in the cultural heritage. Does our cultural heritage reflect the whole of our heritage - tangible and intangible - or is it selective on the basis of what is acceptable to some? Heritage is about memory. And if we are selective about what is considered to be acceptable, proper and politically correct, we will have an artificially constructed heritage and memory - made to fit a specific purpose but without the real soul of people who have traversed many roads to reach a specific destination.
How can we tell the story of all the people of this country when we do not include and add to our cultural heritage, but think it is wise to remove and replace and even destroy? How is social cohesion promoted and attained when photos, works of art, buildings and other elements of cultural heritage are discarded and neglected because they do not fit the politically driven construct of what our cultural heritage should be?
Thirdly, social cohesion requires recognition as opposed to rejection. Recognition refers to respecting and tolerating differences in a country where we have a variety of cultures, languages and heritage. Instead of assimilating or obliterating variety and diversity, diversity must be harnessed to showcase cultural richness. The diversity of our cultural heritage should not be used to wall us into specific enclaves and stereotypes of minorities and majorities, but should be used as bridges to cross for new knowledge and experiences.
To answer the question whether social cohesion has thus far been achieved through our cultural heritage, the answer is unfortunately no, not yet. There are still too many instances of exclusion, marginalisation, disregard and neglect. Working towards social cohesion requires an intricate balance between the different elements of social cohesion. When we celebrate our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, we should be mindful of this balance between the individual cultural heritage and the national aim of social cohesion, as well as the dangers of an inability or unwillingness to fully embrace the totality of our heritage.
Ten slotte moet ons egter ook onthou dat dit nie realisties is en dat daar ook nie aan die doelstelling van sosiale kohesie, deur middel van die viering van ons kulturele erfenis, uitvoering gegee gaan word as dit tot een dag beperk is nie.
Daar moet deurlopend en aktief daaraan gewerk word om aan almal in die land 'n gevoel te gee dat hulle behoort en dat een en elkeen se kulturele erfenis belangrik is en gerespekteer word. Slegs so sal ons kulturele erfenis ook 'n kulturele nalatenskap vir toekomstige geslagte wees wat gesamentlik die toekoms in 'n oop geleentheid samelewing tegemoet kan gaan. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[In conclusion, we should however also bear in mind that it is not realistic and that we will not be able to achieve the objective of social cohesion by celebrating our cultural heritage if it is limited to one day.
Continuous and active work is required so that everyone in this country has a sense of belonging and that each and everyone's cultural heritage is important and respected. Only in this way will our cultural heritage also be a cultural legacy for future generations who, together, would be able to approach the future in an open opportunity society. Thank you. [Applause.]]
House Chairperson, the Freedom Charter declared boldly that South Africa belonged to all who live in it, black and white. Today we still affirm the validity of that sentiment and belief. Therefore, as we focus on Heritage Day 2009, we should pause and reflect on the power, potency and potentiality of that statement. We all know to whom South Africa belongs. On the other hand, do all people in South Africa believe that they belong to South Africa?
Will Heritage Day be celebrated with equal favour by everyone? In our Constitution, 11 languages are officially recognised and PanSALB is enjoined to promote and ensure respect for a dozen other languages, such as German, Greek and Gujarati, used by distinctive communities. This means that in our country, we have more than 20 different languages and cultural groups.
Each group has contributed significantly to enriching the tapestry that constitutes South African life, but do all these groups come out on Heritage Day in their unique dress, singing their unique songs, exhibiting their unique art, sharing their unique literature and making presentations of their unique cuisines? As I remember, there were people who merely wanted to make this national day a frivolous braai day. Government has been unable to get a buy-in from every community. This is a missed opportunity. On Heritage Day, every cultural group should be affirming itself and South Africa. The Swiss are all distinctly different people, but they display an indivisible common national pride.
South Africa is rich in the richness of its diversity. South Africa is unique in the way it affords each group the chance to develop its uniqueness. South Africans have so much to share with one another, yet when there is the time and opportunity to do so, there is no great sharing.
Government must assume the larger portion of blame for this. Government arrogated to itself the right to be everything to everybody on Heritage Day. It took centre stage instead of taking a back seat. It tried to reflect itself instead of letting cultural groups demonstrate what they were about.
It is certain that Heritage Day belongs to all heritage groups and therefore it should be entrusted to them to plan for it with a great deal of elbowroom. National, provincial and regional committees representing all cultural groups should take charge henceforth in order that every cultural group feels like seizing the opportunity to disclose its artistic and cultural treasures.
Years ago, I witnessed how the 11 national groups that constituted the then defunct Soviet Union participated in a national day in a way typically characteristic of itself. Heritage Day should not be reserved for boring speeches. It should be the most anticipated day on the calendar. Certainly, one dance, one song and one meal will say more than a thousand words. Celebrations should be just that. Speech-making should be reserved for Parliament.
Heritage Day could also help to unfreeze relationships amongst our various peoples. We all know that we occupy common space, but not any common feeling or common allegiance. Our token response of acknowledging one another across the various divides should be allowed to develop into a genuine understanding and appreciation of one another. We are tied by destiny to a journey into the future together.
We should therefore not delay the forging of our togetherness, because the sooner we do it, the sooner we can claim a safer and more prosperous future. Ethnicity should never be the reason for animosity; rather it should be the reason for reciprocity.
We are not the only nation celebrating Heritage Day in September. Many people in Europe are doing the same. In Sweden, for example, heritage day has a theme. This year the theme is: Sweden and Finland share a history. It will certainly be interesting to see what they do in exploring this theme and what outcomes are achieved. There may be a lesson for us in their experience.
As South Africans, we share one country but we have divided histories. When are we going to look for fusion in history, fusion in food, fusion in music? Fusion is the rage at the moment in the world, and we have vast scope for it here. The United Kingdom also has their heritage day in September. So what will our English counterparts be doing? For four days, English property owners will open their doors, free of charge, to the public. They will be saying that whatever is their legacy is also the legacy of their nation. On these four days, everyone in England can enjoy places of great historic heritage and architectural value.
If we in South Africa took a tiny little step to open our doors to our neighbours, what a giant step that would be. For much more to happen in the suburbs, the Minister of Police will have to walk his tough talk of stopping criminals in their tracks. We have constraints, but our opportunities to know and be known are greater in number.
Cope, as Comrade Smuts Ngonyama pointed out the other day, is promoting the idea of an activist state. For us it is important to take another big step forward from that which was taken in 1994. We cannot let our democracy stagnate.
For us, the potential that exists in our country has to be harnessed. This can only happen when the state comes down to the people, rather than asking the people to come to the state and then asking them to go away and come back again. We want the people of our country to be one and we want them to demonstrate that whoever they are, they enjoy being South Africans. We want them to put their destiny and that of their children in their own hands. I thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Ministers, hon members, our heritage and ideals, our moral code and standards, the values that we live by and pass on to our children are magnified or diminished by how freely we exchange our ideas and feelings.
On Heritage Day we sing freedom's song. In the stirring words of Abraham Lincoln, "Our defence is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as a heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors."
We, in this House, by common cause, are here because we believe that public service is a force for change. We, as the people's servants, hearken to the voice of our heritage and ancestors. I rise to speak for my heritage. Following the post-Anglo-Zulu War partition of the Zulu Kingdom and the Land Act of 1913, which deprived the majority of the Zulus of their ancestral land, my nation desperately needed change. But was this change to be revolutionary or evolutionary? How was a young aspiring Zulu politician, like me, to help transform the living conditions and restore national dignity without eroding traditional values? I wished to see my nation prosper and coexist peacefully with other peoples. This is my heritage!
At the same time, I did not wish to see the resentment of the colonial era based on race transformed into envy fuelled by material advancement of the few at the expense of the many. I viewed my people, the Zulus, as individuals and members of strong self-reliant communities, not as political troops in a class struggle. This is my heritage!
We are also mindful today that there is insufficient regard for South Africa's diverse linguistic and cultural heritage which traces its roots to the Dutch and British immigrants - white Africans - who first graced the shores of the Cape hundreds of years ago. The legacy of the Van der Merwes and the Mulders is my heritage. The legacy of the 1820 settlers in this province is also my heritage!
With this thought in mind, I would like to relate an anecdote of what happened when I attended the national celebration of Women's Day, in Vryheid, in the Zululand District, last month. I was invited by the hon Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities, the hon Ms Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya, to join her and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, the hon Dr Zweli Mkhize. The guest of honour and guest speaker was His Excellency Mr J G Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa.
This event starkly confronted me with the question of whether we are truly the Rainbow Nation that we market ourselves to be. I'm not going to raise the argument about whether the notion of a Rainbow Nation is right or not. I wish we were a Rainbow Nation, but my own view is that we are, rather, a great nation because of our dazzling multiculturalness, one that is more comparable to a delectable bowl of salad.
We are rich because we are all Africans in the sense which was so elegantly stated from this podium by His Excellency, President Thabo Mbeki, in his memorable evocation, "I am an African!" We are rich because of our diverse cultures. We embrace all these cultures as our own, whether we are Africans of different ethnic groups, or English or Afrikaans, coloured or Indian.
Yet, in all the past 15 years that I have attended all these functions - so- called national events - I have been struck by the fact that not one of them has been representative of all our people. Only Africans attended the function in Vryheid, for example. Less than 10 whites were present. I saw two Indians, who were officials. There was not a single coloured present.
So, I asked myself: "Where is the Rainbow Nation?" Is it our fault, the African majority? Maybe we have not opened our arms wide enough to embrace the other race groups, particularly minorities? I do not know. I'm groping. I'm groping around in search for an answer. It could be that the minority groups, so far, have not accepted that we are one nation. It could be that they simply do not feel safe in the midst of the majority. We look in a mirror dimly, but after 15 years, my dear brothers and sisters, we must come face to face with this brutal question.
Must it only be in the soccer and rugby stadiums that we see all the black and white faces? I boldly assert today the truth that the best way to build a united South Africa is by cherishing and respecting all its constituent parts.
Yes, South Africa is one country and it is building one nation, but its future will only be secured if all its constituent traditions are respected. One way to approach the process of building an authentic national consensus is with an open mind and with honesty.
The case for freedom, the case for our constitutional principles and the case for our heritage has to be made anew in each generation. The work of freedom is never done. We are also mindful this week especially, that South Africa should be free to recognise its diverse religious heritage, and doing this is not the same as creating a government-sponsored religion.
Our diversity is also reflected in the glory of creation. It is written in the narrative, too, of South Africa's ecology. As we approach Copenhagen, we are mindful as custodians of this fragile land that it is not just the honour you take with you, but also the heritage you leave behind. I thank you.
Hon Chairman, since I have not exhausted my time, I wonder if you could allow Africans to clap. I want to sit down please. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the ID believes that South Africa has a rich cultural and natural heritage in which we can all take pride. Tragically, the history of our country was such that our rich diversity was not celebrated as a strength, but rather as a means to divide and oppress the majority of our people.
We were taught to be suspicious and weary of each other's cultures and we engaged in a zero-sum game where one culture was promoted at the expense of others.
As a nation, we need to unlearn this practice and we need to build a common African heritage, which we can all celebrate as our own. To do this we need to step out of our comfort zones and take the time to discover the humanity that resides in the different cultural expressions of our country.
As the ID, we are committed to this vision and we will continue to encourage all South Africans to bridge the divides of the past, which are still tragically reflected in the poverty of the present. I thank you.
Chairperson, hon members, I would like to use this opportunity to speak about one of the least-considered consequences of the crisis at the SA Broadcasting Corporation. The mandate of the SA Broadcasting Corporation, as the public broadcaster, directly relates to the protection and promotion of our diverse cultural heritage. To this end, we pay television licences, and through this Parliament we have approved additional taxpayer money to keep the SA Broadcasting Corporation afloat.
What has happened over the course of the past year is that the SA Broadcasting Corporation has systematically failed to pay local production companies for the content they have made. This alone has forced many of these local producers to the brink of bankruptcy.
In the aftermath of the SA Broadcasting Corporation's shenanigans earlier this year, there has now been a radical reduction in the SA Broadcasting Corporation's expenditure on locally produced content. Not only does this directly lead to a massive increase in foreign - often, poor quality - content on the airwaves, but it also threatens to decimate the local creative industries.
Many thousands of artists, performers, technical crew and businesspeople will lose their income, and the country stands to lose a significant chunk of the domestic industry that is truly committed to South African cultural heritage. This is a tragedy and the equivalent of the cultural genocide ... [Inaudible.] [Time expired.] [Laughter.]
Hon Chairperson, in celebrating our tangible and intangible cultural heritage for social cohesion, we have to start from a sound and solid base. The hon Chief Whip of the ANC referred throughout his speech to the African people, and I understand what he means, but I need to point out to him that I am also an African. My family came to this continent in 1685, that is 324 years ago, before most Americans went to the United States, Canadians to Canada and Australians to Australia. I am an African!
When the hon Dr Buthelezi, at the end of his speech, asked the Chairperson to allow Africans to give him a good hand, you would have seen that all members in this House jointly gave him a good hand. We are all Africans.
We have to accept and understand that at this stage we do not have one single united cultural heritage. We will only succeed with social cohesion and national reconciliation if we follow the right recipe.
We will not succeed with nation-building and social cohesion by stumbling from one sporting event to the next. We need the right recipe. Maybe, that recipe we may find in the preamble to the Constitution, which I do not think we often read, where it clearly says: "We, the people of South Africa ... believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity."
That is a reality of South Africa. We are a very diverse nation. Let us respect our differences, then we can become united and succeed with social cohesion and through nation-building, as Africans, all of us. Thank you.
Chairperson and hon members, indeed it is my pleasure to be part of this important debate of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, when we celebrate Heritage Month with the people of South Africa.
As we all know, September marks the annual Heritage Month celebration in our country. This month, we invite all South Africans, irrespective of race, class or gender, to be part of the celebrations and to come out of their cocoons, as the Freedom Charter states quite clearly that South Africa belongs to all of us, black and white, and this government has always welcomed people from all races in all its activities and programmes. I agree with uBaba uShenge ukuthi nami ngangikhona eVryheid azange ngibabone abanye abantu angazi ukuthi kwakwenzenjani ... [I agree with hon Shenge that I was also present in Vryheid and I did not see other people, I am not sure what was happening ...] and this happens year in and year out.
In recognition of the value created by the craft segment of our economy, we have this year, as the Department of Arts and Culture, adopted the theme: "Celebrating South African Craft, our Heritage" as the focus of the 2009 Heritage Month celebrations. This theme is an opportunity to highlight the socioeconomic value of the craft industry, especially in our rural areas, and it encourages further development of our communities. This theme enables us to encourage not only further investment in the craft sector of our economy, but also to contribute to nation-building and social cohesion.
The main Heritage Day celebrations will take place in Moroke, at the Ntwampe stadium, in the Greater Tubatse Municipality in Limpopo. This event will be addressed by our Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, as it will be an official national programme.
In this month, therefore, we recognise the importance of our heritage and our diverse cultural expressions that together shape and build our national culture. We also pay attention to the artefacts made by our ancestors through the generations that have preceded us. We celebrate these men and women of wisdom, whose accomplishments are testimony to the fact that great works of art can come from a culture rooted in the realities of our people.
It is in this context, therefore, that yesterday we launched Heritage Month at one of our World Heritage sites, the Mapungubwe National Park, which is found at the meeting place between ourselves, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet.
This offered us an opportunity to admire the cultural and economic wealth that came from the Mapungubwe people, whose architects built a royal residence and whose blacksmiths built tools and artworks out of iron and gold many hundreds of years ago. They were part of a thriving Indian Ocean trade system. This is where the golden rhino and bowls, tools and pottery, as well as glass beads and jewellery were found.
Through our knowledge of Mapungubwe and Thulamela, of the finds of the Klasies River and Blombos Cave, and through archaeological studies of rock art, we can say that South Africa has a rich heritage that is unique in the evidence it provides of our earliest human beings.
We should be proud, therefore, that South Africa possesses such vast natural beauty and heritage of outstanding universal value through our eight World Heritage Sites, namely Mapungubwe, Robben Island, Vredefort Dome, the Cradle of Humankind, the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, the Richtersveld, the Isimangaliso Wetland Park and the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park. We also know that in our part of the world, humans have lived for about 2 million years and history books tell us that between 200 000 and 100 000 years ago modern humans, the hunter-gatherers, also resided in South Africa. Our heritage is universal.
South African heritage tells the story not only of our nation, but also of our world. Through our liberation struggle, our cultural workers also showed us the path to building a people's culture. As the liberation movement grew in strength, these artists created social awareness and asserted our right to have our own history and develop our culture. Against all odds, they triumphed against apartheid. They asserted what Amilcar Cabral pointed out, which is that "National liberation is necessarily an act of culture."
They contributed in giving us an identity not rooted in oppression but in liberation. Learning from these lessons of our struggle through telling and retelling our stories and working with our cultural workers, we can do more to strengthen and promote our culture and heritage. This is why we say today that culture must be rooted in the realities of our people, in our daily lives, in our struggles and victories.
In building our nation and taking forward the national democratic revolution, our people must continue to be inspired by a culture that addresses their needs and that helps them to build on the freedom won in 1994.
The National Heritage Council is initiating a national liberation heritage- route project, as a story that will tell and depict the journey of liberation through the struggles against colonialism and apartheid.
During Heritage Month, we reaffirm the rights of each and every one of us to lead a rich and productive cultural life. It is in the context of contributing to the world and building our country and our continent that the creative industries are critical to us and to nation-building. They create critical opportunities to uplift and empower our people economically, especially our women, the youth and people with disabilities.
This year we focus on the role that crafts play in building our nation. Our people, through their creativity, are constantly developing traditional cultural expressions, such as the design and production of crafts, basket- weaving and songs. These expressions make meaning and establish identity. The works of art are made from clay, paper, cardboard, wire and plastic bags, among other things. This collective creativity provides a basis for social cohesion and sustainable development.
Studies indicate that 1,2 million people earn their living through crafts and related trade areas. The key is to strengthen the sector and to create enabling conditions for these areas to flourish. The Department of Trade and Industry estimates that South Africa's craft sector alone contributes about R2 billion to South Africa's Gross Domestic Product annually. Yet, despite an abundance of individual and community artistic and entrepreneurial skills, there is still exploitation, with primary producers selling their goods through middlemen. This limits their earnings and prevents their full and active participation in the industry.
The problems are compounded in that there is no recognised representative body that promotes the rights of crafters, and most raw materials are imported and are thus unaffordable for many of our people. Through our Investing in Culture programme, we are addressing these and other concerns. Since 2005, we have spent over R300 million on supporting craft projects so that they can become self-sustaining small businesses.
We are equipping crafters with business skills through this programme to enable them to compete and market their products. Working together with all our stakeholders, we shall improve on these initiatives.
We believe that we should focus on women, especially rural women, as far as craft and craft production are concerned. Sustainable craft development also requires sustaining the participation of women in the crafts industry. We are proud that the majority of projects funded since 2005 are projects led and carried out by women. We acknowledge that more needs to be done in this regard. We also believe that crafts can contribute meaningfully to the government's rural development objectives.
The focus on crafts therefore is part of our commitment to the development and revitalisation of our rural economies. It is our belief that tangible programmes and strong marketing campaigns in the craft sector will contribute to rural development. This year, for the first time, we held the National Craft Awards to showcase and encourage craft enterprises throughout the country and to raise the profile of the craft industry, by rewarding selected works that demonstrated great skill and innovation.
We need to acknowledge that South Africa is recognised today as a global player in the arts, culture and heritage sector. This year's Heritage Month celebrations come at a time when South Africa is gaining ground in the world's arts, culture and heritage landscape. Let us consolidate the work we are doing to showcase our arts, crafts and heritage for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and, of course, we are ready for the World Cup.
From 21 September to 23 September 2009, we will host the Afrikaans-Dutch festival conference called Roots, with the Minister of European Affairs from the Netherlands and with Flemish co-operation. Mr Mulder, we do recognise Afrikaans as an African language, and we will be having a discussion with the Dutch to look at the roots of Afrikaans, which, of course, were planted in South Africa on the African continent. This will not only help to strengthen our cultural relations with the Dutch government and people, but will also build on the solidarity that started during the apartheid years.
Next week, we are also hosting the Fourth World Summit on Arts and Culture for the first time on African soil. This will be held from 22 September to 25 September in Newtown, Johannesburg. All these platforms offer us the opportunity to demonstrate the centrality of arts and culture in development and in promoting opportunities for our artists to exchange ideas with others and forge common projects across the globe. Our task, therefore, is to strengthen further our sense of belonging to South Africa. Through our crafts and through our arts and culture programmes we will nurture a common value system that strengthens our unity as a nation. I do believe, hon Lotriet, that this government has worked hard to ensure social cohesion and unity in our nation.
Many of the museums and programmes that were started during colonialism and apartheid times are still there. We still have the Voortrekker monument, and nobody has messed with it. We only have the Albert Luthuli museum as one of the new programmes that were started by this government. All we are asking for is to open up these facilities and to welcome all our people, even those that were marginalised before.
As we transform our country, we need to ensure that through heritage, arts and culture we build cohesive, sustainable and caring communities. Only in this way do we play our part in the common effort to expedite our national development. Only in this way do we remain true to the Freedom Charter, which directs us to discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life.
I take this opportunity therefore, Chairperson, to invite all of you to participate in our National Heritage Day celebrations in Limpopo and also in celebrations that will take place in all our provinces on 24 September 2009. I also hope that I will not be disappointed, as the hon Buthelezi was, by many of our people, particularly the minorities, not participating on that day. I want to wish all of you a happy Heritage Month and a happy Heritage Day. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chair, the country's heritage could, in part, be described as the conservation of the creativity of people past, which enriches the lives of people present. Today that creativity has expanded to include not only historic buildings, ancient bridges, etc, but all aspects of life, with sport, recreational activities and tourism holding their own.
Tourists from around the world and residents alike have come to expect and increasingly demand a more responsible tourism that supports the conservation of the natural as well as the cultural environment. This, in turn, has had the effect of creating a favourable development climate for new heritage products, driven by market needs for innovation and diversification. Today our culture can be experienced in many ways including Robben Island pilgrimages, underground mine visiting, bungy jumping, township dancing, cuisine, etc.
While conserving and promoting our cultural heritage, it is equally important for us to have regard for expanding urbanisation, and the establishment of rural growth points to promote a higher standard of living and heritage for rural and marginalised people. South Africa was singled out, before the granting of the venue of the 2010 World Cup, in the "Tourism 2020 Vision" as one of six countries predicted to make great strides in the tourism industry in the years leading up to 2020. As the preparations for the Soccer World Cup escalate, capacity and infrastructure are expanding to meet exacting international standards, moving us closer each day to this vision. While 2010 offers South Africa the opportunity of showcasing our country to people who might never otherwise have visited our land, Madiba sees another advantage. The World cup, he says, will help unify our nation.
Sport, recreational activities and tourism could be said to have deepened democracy in their own way. They create and foster identity and, through interaction between cultures, promote the social cohesion necessary to move South Africa closer to being a peace-loving and prosperous nation, a heritage worth the effort. Thank you.
Chairperson, first of all, South Africa must be complimented on recognising and preserving its rich heritage. In KwaZulu-Natal we are proud of the fact that the government is restoring the very rich heritage the province has.
We must also remember that, in the heritage basket, we must not forget the contributions made by the broad cross-cultural society. In this province where Parliament is seated, we must never forget the original inhabitants and the contribution made by the Malays, the Dutch, the French, the Portuguese and the English.
Social cohesion is vital in preserving our rich heritage. I may add that, when we visit other countries, the greatest tourist attractions are the heritage sites.
The erstwhile Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Jordan, emphasised on the occasion of Heritage Day Celebrations that it was not only a day on which all South Africans were given the opportunity to pause, reflect and look back on all the good things that had been passed on to us by those who came before us, but that it was also a day to celebrate and to relive the heritage that was given to us by our ancestors.
The role of heritage in social cohesion is recognised internationally, and hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup will indeed create a golden platform and opportunity to market South Africa as a popular and desirable destination.
The MF strongly believes that heritage promotion offers South Africa the opportunity to use culture, cultural expression and the country's rich heritage as a vehicle in improving the lives of millions of South African role-players in the cultural industries.
Mahatma Gandhi once said that the greatest integrity in an individual is his culture.
We come from different ethnic beliefs and diverse religious backgrounds, but we are one nation. Indeed, we are one nation, proudly South African. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chair, as we reflect on the importance of South Africa's Heritage Day, we need to ponder on whether our collective national effort enhances or detracts from the very foundational provision of our supreme law, the Constitution, which stipulates that we need to -
Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.
It is my contention that as we truly embrace the essence and spirit of this provision, without negating the other constitutional injunctions, we can be firmly rooted on the path towards a more fundamental and sustainable social cohesion agenda.
Furthermore, a true observance of this injunction will have drastically positive implications for both the tangible, i.e the institutions put in place for our democratic agenda, and the intangible heritage, which includes the collective national mindset in which a democratic culture of tolerance not only thrives, but can also be bequeathed to future generations.
A cursory look at our national political discourse suggests that we have yet to fully embrace a culture in which we "Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights". The sad consequence of this is that we, perhaps inadvertently, are on a sure path towards social disintegration.
It is simply an exercise against the entrenchment of democratic values when a leading figure of the ruling party, Mr Gwede Mantashe, finds it easy to call members of our Constitutional Court - which is a critical institution for the advancement of our democracy - "counter-revolutionaries".
What is more worrisome is the conspicuous silence of many in the ruling party in rejecting Mr Mantashe's rather unfortunate assertion. What does this say about the maturity of our democracy and, by implication, the building of our democratic project?
In order for judges to exercise their duties without fear or favour, in defence of our democratic values, they must be immune from politically inflammatory statements such as the one from Mr Mantashe and his miniature carbon copy, Malema. If time was permitting, I could have mentioned many other examples. Mature democratic values - which we must leave for our children - require an acceptance that opposition parties are there to enhance our democracy. We must respect all institutions which are created to safeguard our democracy and not denigrate them for the momentary pleasure of scoring political points.
The narrative that the building of democracy is the monopoly of the ruling party must be rejected. Firstly, freedom was not won by the ANC alone; it was the collective effort of all South Africans. We must ensure that this mindset permeates all our political exercises and, by extension, our heritage. Secondly, elevating the ANC to the role of a divine ruler is bad for our democracy.
We must attend urgently to the troubles faced by our cultural institutions such as the Robben Island Museum, the National Library and many of the other museums we have. But, on the eve of Heritage Day, I must mention that the very portfolio committee in this Parliament responsible for this task is currently not holding any committee meetings. It only held meetings to discuss the budget and its strategic plan; no other meeting took place after that.
Tangible and intangible cultural heritages are symbiotic and we cannot have one without the other if we wish to have successful, sustainable social cohesion.
The DA believes that the heritage that we should indeed let the future generation of South Africans inherit, is a country with an open-opportunity society in which every person is free, secure and equal, in which everyone has the opportunity to improve the quality of his or her life and pursue his or her dreams, and in which every language and culture enjoys equal respect and recognition.
This heritage is grounded on the defence, promotion and extension of the following principles: the fundamental rights and freedoms of every person, including the right to freedom of conscience, speech, association and movement; the rejection of unfair discrimination on any grounds; the supremacy of the South African Constitution and the rule of law; the language, cultural and religious rights of individuals and the communities they create through free association; equality before the law; the separation of legislative, executive and judicial power; a judiciary that is independent; elections that are regular, free and fair; a representative and accountable government elected on the basis of universal adult suffrage; the devolution of power to locate government as close as possible to the people; a clear division between the ruling party and the state; respect for the right of a vibrant civil society and a free media to function independently; the rejection of violence and intimidation as a political instrument; the right of all people to private ownership and to participate freely in the market economy; the progressive realisation of access to housing, health services and social security for all people who are unable to help themselves; the protection and conservation of the environment; the right of all people to protection by the state from crime and violence; and the right of all people of access to education and training.
Allow me to close with the 1946 Afrikaans translation by H A Fagan of Enoch Sontonga's Nkosi Sikelel, which he wrote and composed in 1897:
Uit duisende monde word die lied gedra. Ek sluit my o; soos 'n serafskoor val daar stemme strelend op my oor: Nkosi Sikelel i'Afrika - Ons vra U sen, O Heer, vir Afrika. Ek kyk, en sien die skare voor my staan: Zoeloe en Xhosa, Sotho en Sjangaan, en ek, 'n Blanke - vele volkre, ja - almal verenigd. Uit duisende monde word die lied gedra, om God's sen te vra op net een tuiste, net een vaderland, want die Alwyse het ons saam geplant en saam laat wortel in Suid-Afrika: Nkosi sikelel I'Afrika - sen, Heer, die land wat vele volkre dra.
Ek dank u. [Applous.] [I thank you.] [Applause.]]
Ngiyabonga Sihlalo. Sihlalo, oNgqongqoshe ikakhulu uNgqongqoshe WeZobuciko Namasiko neSekela lakhe. Amalungu ePhalamende ahloniphekile noNgqongqoshe bonke namaSekela abo. Le nkulumompikiswano yenzeka ngesikhathi esifanele ngenyanga yamagugu, inyanga kaMandulo. Lesi isikhathi sokuqala kwekhalenda labantu bokudabuka kulelizwe. Kuye kube yiyo inyanga yokuqala ukulima, kulandele nezinye izinto ezihambisana nezempilo kwimpilo yabantu abamnyama yokulwa nobubha ngokuthi basebenze ngokulima baphinde babelane ngokudla emva kwesivuno.
Sinezinyanga zonyaka ezisemthethweni njengesizwe esimnyama. Lokhu okubizwa ngekhalenda. Leli khalenda libeka izikhathi zokulima nokuvuna zonyaka. Linika ulwazi ngemithetho elandelayo kwezolimo nezokulapha okuyizinto ezisetshenziswa ngokwesilungu futhi akuvezwa ukuthi zazivele nobani. Imiphakathi yendabuko ayihlomuli kulezi zinto.
Ngenxa yokwehlukahlukana kwamasiko, kumele lisetshenziswe leli khalenda lendabuko ukuze linikeze amasiko esizwe nesizwe ithuba lokuthuthukisa amagugu aso.
Ukuze sikwazi ukwenza ngcono lolu lwazi lwendabuko, kumele siqale kabusha, sisebenzise leli khalenda labantu lemiphakathi yendabuko ngoba amasiko ethu avuselelwa kulo. Isigaba sokuqala saleli khalenda, siqala ngoMandulo, okuyisiqalo sonyaka omusha njengoba sazi ukuthi isikhathi sokuqala ukulima. Izimvula ziye zine ngenyanga kaMfumfu, kwenziwe nemigubho yokubonga uNkulunkulu ngokuna kwemvula nokuvunda kwenhlabathi.
Ngenyanga kaLwezi, izimbali ziyaqhakaza nemvelo yonke iqhakaze kabusha, kuthenwe izihlahla ezithelayo. Lesi isikhathi sokugubha ubuhle bemvelo nokubaluleka kwayo. Ngenyanga kaZibandlela, kuba nomgubho wokweshwama. Ngesikhathi sezithelo zokuqala, le migubho ihambisana nemithandazo kamoya kubantu bendabuko. Isigaba sesibili saleli khalenda, siba phakathi kukaMasingana nenyanga kaMbasa. Kuyavunwa amasimu kudliwe kube mnandi kube njeya kudunyiswe noNkulunkulu ngesivuno esihle kwenziwe neminikelo.
SinguKhongolose sithi: Akuvuselelwe izinsika nezinkambiso eziqhakambisa ziphinde zikhuthaze amasiko ethu. Uhulumeni oholwa uKhongolose uzibophezela ekwakhiweni kwesizwe esibumbene esakhelwe phezu kwesisekelo soMthethosisekelo wentando yeningi ohlonipha wonke amasiko abantu abaseNingizimu Afrika ngokuhlukahlukana kwabo.
UMongameli wezwe, uMsholozi, uNxamalala waphonsa inselelo enkulumeni yakhe yokuvula iPhalamende ngenyanga kaNhlangulana, ngiyamcaphuna:
The ANC-led government has once again committed itself to create a united cohesive society out of our fragmented past. We are called to continue the mission of promoting unity in diversity and develop a shared value system, based on the spirit of community solidarity and a caring society. Our shared value system should encourage us to become active citizens in the renewal of our country in which we build a common national identity.
Okunye okufanele singakulibali malungu ahloniphekile ePhalamende, ukuthi amasiko nezinkambiso zendabuko kuwumthombo wolwazi nakunoma yimuphi umntwana okhulayo ukuze akhule ezazi ubuyena, eqonda kangcono izinto ezamukelekile nezingamukelekanga emphakathini. Ukulima nje kukodwa kufundisa abantwana usiko lokuzisebenzela into anayo nokwazi ukuthi kumele ayisebenzele ngokuzikhandla ukuze aphumelele.
Lokhu kukodwa kuyisikhali sesizwe sokulwa nobugebengu obunjengobusela. Umlando wethu ubhalwe emasikweni ethu khona ukuze kuqondwe kangconywana ngemvelaphi yesizwe esithile,kubalulekile ukuthi wazi amasiko nezinkambiso zaso.Lokho kukhuthaza nenhlonipho phakathi kwezizwe.
Lokhu kwenza kubelula ukuthandana nokubumbana nokukhuthaza ukungacwasani phakathi kwabantu abaphila ndawonye. Thina bantu baseNingizimu Afrika singabantu abahlukene ngokwamasiko nemvelaphi, ngakho-ke kuyadingeka ukuthi sikhuthaze imigubho yezinto ezingamagugu namasiko ngokuhlukana.
Asibuye isithunzi sethu ngokuthi sizazi ukuthi singobani, sivelaphi nokuthi sibhekaphi. Siyazi ukuthi ukuqi nelwa ngabezizwe, esikubiza phecelezi nge- colonialism kwaba nomthelela ongalungile obumbanweni lwabantu baseNingizimu Afrika.
Lokhu kwaphinda kwakhuthazwa nayimithetho yokugweva nendawo, okuyiyo eyenza ukuthi abantu bokudabuka kuleli lizwe baphucwe amalungelo abo omhlaba, baphelelwe usiko lokuzenzela umnotho ngokuhwebelana ngemfuyo nezidlo ezitshalwayo. Abantu bakithi benziwa izigqila zokusebenzela amanye amadoda bashiye phansi okwabo.
Inselelo isenkulu Sihlalo. Yiliphi ikhambi esizolisebenzisa ukuvuselela nokulondoloza amasiko nemfundiso yendabuko? Kunenkulumo eyabekwa ubaba umhlonishwa owayenguMongameli uThabo Mbeki mhla zingama-24 kuMandulo ka- 2004, ngiyamcaphuna:
The weavers of iHluzo and Isilulu, the baskets from Hlabisa woven with care by Reuben Ndwandwe and Beauty Ngcongo, the makers of Ntwana dolls, the Letsema of the Basotho women, the iNcwala the Reed dance are only some of the traditions that have survived the passage of time. We must confront this challenge every day and ensure that we bring to a halt the erosion and destruction of our traditions and beliefs. This is necessary because if, as Africans, we are to claim the 21st century for ourselves, we have a duty to preserve our tradition and heritage.
Le nselelo idinga mina nawe nabantwana bethu omhlophe nomnyama siyithathe ukuze sakhe isizwe esibumbene ngokwempilo sihlukane ngamasiko; sibe nokuhlonipheka okususelwe esisekelweni somkhombandlela woMqulu weNkululeko othi:
The doors of learning and culture shall be opened! The government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life. All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands.
Kumele senze izimo zempilo zibe ngcono ukuze sikwazi ukwabelana ngolwazi lwazo zonke izinto esizenzayo empilweni. Imiphakathi idinga ukuthuthukiswa ngokuthi kwakhiwe izindlela zokulondoloza lezo zimfundiso zendabuko nezindlela zokuphila zasemandulo. Angenze nje izibonelo ezimbalwa,emkhakheni wezempilo, ezesayensi kanye nezolimo.
Ngesikhathi sangaphambili imiphakathi yabamnyama yayingayazi lento okuthiwa ukuhlinzwa komuntu uma ebeletha. Kwakunezinto ezenziwayo uma ingane ingavumi ukuguquka uma umama ebeletha.
Kwakungekho muntu ohlinzwayo. Kwakwaziwa ukuthi uma kunomoya ovunguza ubheke endaweni ethile kusuke uchaza ukuthini. Kwezolimo abalimi bomdabu babazi ukuthi uma izitshalo uma zishintsha umbala ngaphambi kokuzithelela kusuke kudingeka ukuthi kushintshwe izitshalo kutshalwe enye into kuleyo nsimu. Ngiyabonga Sihlalo. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M D NXUMALO: Thank you Chairperson. Chairperson, Ministers, especially the Minister of Arts and Culture and her deputy, hon Members of Parliament and all the Deputy Ministers present here, this debate takes place at an appropriate time which is during heritage month, September. This is the beginning of the calendar of the indigenous people of this country. This is the time to start ploughing, and other things, which pertain to the health and livelihood of the black people, would then follow. And they devise ways of fighting poverty by ploughing and sharing food among themselves after the harvest.
We have our own official calendar as black people. And this calendar stipulates the times for ploughing and harvesting. It also provides knowledge about the rules that are followed with regard to agriculture and medicine - there are things that are used in western medicine of which the origins are never revealed. Indigenous communities do not benefit from these things. And because of cultural diversity, this indigenous calendar must be used so that it can provide each ethnic group an opportunity to develop its culture.
In order for us to improve this indigenous knowledge, we need to start afresh by using the calendar of the indigenous communities because our traditions are revived through it. The first phase of this calendar starts in September which is the beginning of the New Year, as that is the time to start ploughing. Seasonal rains start falling in October and then the celebrations for thanking God for the rain and the fertile soil are held.
And in November the flowers blossom and the whole of nature blossoms again; fruit trees are also pruned. This is the time to celebrate the beauty of nature and its importance. In December, there is the celebration of the first fruits. And during this time of the first fruits, indigenous people pray to their ancestors. The second phase of this calendar is between January and April. During this phase fields are harvested, feasts and celebrations are held and sacrifices are made in order to thank and praise God for a good harvest.
As the ANC we are saying that we should strengthen the pillars and revive the practices that distinguish and promote our cultures. The ANC-led government is committing itself to nation-building, which is done on the basis of constitutional democracy which respects all the different cultures of the people of South Africa.
The President of the country, Msholozi, Nxamalala issued a challenge in his state of the nation address in June, and I quote:
ANC-led government has once again committed itself to create a united cohesive society out of our fragmented past. We are called to continue the mission of promoting unity in diversity and develop a shared value system, based on the spirit of community solidarity and a caring society. Our shared value system should encourage us to become active citizens in the renewal of our country in which we build a common national identity.
Another thing which we should not forget hon Members of Parliament is that, culture and traditional practices are the source of knowledge to any growing child in order for him/her to grow up knowing his/her origins, and to have a better understanding of the norms which are acceptable and those that are unacceptable in the community. Ploughing, on its own, teaches a child to fend for him/herself and that in order for him/her to get something, he/she needs to work very hard to achieve it.
This, alone, is a nation's weapon to fight crimes like theft. Our history is engraved in our traditions. In order to understand the origins of a certain tribe better, it is important to understand its culture and its ways of life. And that encourages respect among different ethnic groups.
This makes it easy for the different ethnic groups to adore one another, and to be united. And it also discourages discrimination amongst people who are living together. We, the people of South Africa have different traditions and origins; therefore it is imperative that we encourage the celebration of our heritage and traditions separately.
Let us bring back our dignity by knowing who we are, where we come from and where we are going. We know that colonialism had a negative impact on the unity of the African people.
This was also encouraged by the Land Act which resulted in the indigenous people losing their rights to land ownership, subsequently forfeiting their rights to creating wealth through trading with livestock and agricultural produce. Our people were made slaves by working for other people leaving behind what was theirs.
The challenge is still big, Chairperson. Which remedy are we going to use to revive and preserve our traditions and indigenous teachings? There is a speech that was made by the former hon President Thabo Mbeki on 24 September 2004, and I quote:
The weavers of iHluzo and Isilulu, the baskets from Hlabisa woven with care by Reuben Ndwandwe and Beauty Ngcongo, the makers of Ntwana dolls, the Letsema of the Basotho women, the iNcwala the Reed dance are only some of the traditions that have survived the passage of time. We must confront this challenge every day and ensure that we bring to a halt the erosion and destruction of our traditions and beliefs. This is necessary because if, as Africans, we are to claim the 21st century for ourselves, we have a duty to preserve our tradition and heritage.
This challenge needs you and me and our children both black and white to use it in building a nation that is united in life but diversified in its traditions; to be respectable through the values that are entrenched in the guidelines of the Freedom Charter, that states that:
The doors of learning and culture shall be opened! The government shall discover, develop and encourage national talent for the enhancement of our cultural life. All the cultural treasures of mankind shall be open to all, by exchange of books, ideas and contact with other lands.
We need to make the living conditions better so that we are able to share all the knowledge of the things that we do in life. The communities need to be developed by creating ways to preserve those indigenous teachings and the traditional ways of life. Let me just mention a few examples with regard to health, science and agriculture. In the olden days black communities were not familiar with giving birth by Caesarean section. There were things that were done if the baby could not come out head first. They never gave birth by Caesarean section.
Indigenous people knew what it meant when the wind was blowing from a certain direction. And in agriculture, indigenous farmers knew that if plants changed colour before they could be watered, it meant that they should remove those plants and plant something else in that plot. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]]
Debate concluded.
Thank you, hon member. That concludes the debate. Hon members, I have been informed that the Second Order of the Day will stand over, so the Secretary will read the Third Order.