The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Minister Gayton McKenzie launch the 2024 National Heritage Month programme.
The session took place on Thursday at the Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum in Pretoria.
This year’s National Heritage Month is launched under the theme, “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom”.
The theme puts a spotlight on Resistance & Liberation Heritage Route Programme, and a focus on selfless struggle heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for liberation.
Government through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, and its entities, National Heritage Council (NHC), South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) in collaboration with Department of Military Veterans (DMV) unpack Homecoming and Repatriation project as the key highlight for heritage month.
Minister Mckenzie also launches, outline the overall heritage month calendar of activities which among others include the Heritage Day Celebration and Indigenous Games Festival.
Minister Mackenzie was joined by minister of Military Veterans Angie Motshega, deputy minister of Military Veterans Richard Mkhungo, deputy minister of sports, arts and culture Bantu Holomisa, different ambassadors from different countries across the world, officials from the department, families of fallen heroes and heroines.
Minister Mckenzie also honor and recognise the five living human treasures, Thembinkosi Nteko a bone mender, a specialised traditional health practioner, Gogo Jetty Zulu a master weaver she uses her grass weaving skills to turn ordinary grass into extraodinary art, Sophie Nosinky Mahlangu an award winning Ndebele master beader, painter, dancer and musicians who has spent decades carving out a position as an Ndebele icon, Miriam September a traditional bead work and Makobela Maimela is a brewer of traditional beer and also known for crafting intricate beadwork ensembles for ceremonial occasions.
A poet name Gaddaffi recite a beautiful poem about heritage.
Addressing the guests Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie said this year we are celebrating heritage month differently. This year’s National Heritage Month is launched under the theme, “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom”.
The theme puts a spotlight on Resistance & Liberation Heritage Route Programme, and a focus on selfless struggle heroes and heroines who sacrificed their lives for liberation.
“We are celebrating heroes and heroines today.
In 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would like to see all fallen heroes and heroines to return to South African soil.
I read that and took that instruction very seriously, because I was not there so I reads what is it that my principles expect of me as a minister. We want to thank our neighboring country for welcoming our brothers and sisters and for keeping them.
The highest cost any individual can pay is with his life, there is no highest cost than pay with your life,”said Minister Mckenzie.
“As minister I’m not going to be told it’s expensive, I don’t care how much it cost but they must come home because I understand the pain of dying without knowing what happened to your loved one.
I want to thank all the ambassadors that are here, and they are our true friends of our country,” he said.
He pointed out that as the department of arts and culture they have been tasked with national day, a very important day in the calendar and we declared this month a heritage month as the month of heroes and heroines.
“It is not only this month where we only honour them, we are launching this month, and it will end until the last fallen soldier is back on South African soil and it is not stopping and it’s only the beginning.
We have consulted the families and family members are involved in every step of the way because they have to do their rituals before moving their loved one to South Africa for reburial,” minister concluded.