Heritage Day reflects own role in our future – Mayor Sebatjane

MOKOPANE – Bosveld spoke to Malesela Parks Sebatjane, Mayor of Mogalakwena Municipality regarding his thoughts on this remarkable day, Heritage Day.

“To me heritage is about our collective and deliberate efforts to always instill a sense of identity and pride among ourselves as people. It is about celebrating and sharing the wealth of the diverse cultures that mirror the various people and their cultures in Mogalakwena Municipality.

“Every person is born and raised within a family which is a basic unit of a community. Therefore young people are taught and acquire the basic ethical values of society from the milieu of their family upbringing which expands as they grow and interact with their peers in the broader society.

“My family and the readers of this article are all components of the diverse cultural heritage in which our children are be raised and inculcated with ‘botho’ – respect for those whose cultures differ with theirs.

“For that reason, our youth should further be taught to be willing and ready to learn the good from the cultures of their peers.

“As parents and adults in general, we must teach them to value, practice and preserve their unique cultural values and all that constitute the diversity of the heritage, be it historical records, landmarks and/or natural symbols.”

In conclusion of his message, Sebatjane urged the people of Mogalakwena Municipality to realise “it is our hands to ensure that we correct distortions of the past and build and strengthen social cohesion through shared cultural practice”.