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.