INTRODUCTION 

‘Heritage’ is a word that is defined as “valued objects and qualities such as historic buildings and cultural traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation”. Heritage has become a key part of a nation’s identity that helps to foster a sense of pride and appreciation in the cultures and traditions of different countries around the world.

For South Africa, heritage has been ingrained into the subconsciousness of the country since the dawn of democracy, and it continues to be a big defining part of South Africa’s identity. September is dedicated to celebrating and acknowledging our different cultures, traditions and beliefs. The 24th of September is known as Heritage Day and is the epitome of all heritage month celebrations, but how did heritage day come to be?

HISTORY OF HERITAGE DAY

In the province of KwaZulu-Natal, the 24th of September was known as Shaka Day, a day in which the people of the Zulu kingdom would gather together at his grave to honour and commemorate the death of King Shaka KaSenzangakhona (also known as Shaka Zulu). King Shaka Zulu was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816-1828; he was the most influential King of the Zulu tribe since its inception.

In 1995, the proposed public holiday bill was brought before the new South African parliament for approval, but Shaka Day was excluded from the list of proposed public holidays. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a Zulu Majority party that Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi led (Prime Minister of the Zulu Kingdom), greatly objected to the exclusion of Shaka Day from the proposed bill. After much pushback from the IFP, the ANC (African National Congress) government began talks with the other parties (including the IFP), and a compromise was eventually reached. It was declared that a new holiday would be created to create a safe space for all South Africans from all walks of life to celebrate and show recognition for their cultures and traditions on equal grounds without giving preference to one group over the others, all in the hopes of creating a post-apartheid vision of a common heritage for all.

CONCLUSION

South Africans have many different cultures and traditions as diverse as the rainbow itself, giving more meaning to our country’s nickname, the “Rainbow Nation”. The Creation of Heritage Day gave us a chance to appreciate our nation’s immense cultural wealth in such a way that we were not able to do in the past; that is something I don’t think anyone would take for granted