Heritage Day in Eldos

Heritage Day is celebrated on September 24 each year in South Africa. This public holiday was created to encourage South Africans to celebrate the many different cultures and  diversity in our beliefs and traditions.

Previously known as Shaka Day, in commemoration of the Zulu king who united the different Zulu clans, the holiday was not included in the list of proposed public holidays, and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) objected to its exclusion from the calendar. A compromise was reached between parliament and the IFP, and the day was given its current title and accepted as a public holiday.

The Eldorado Park community, like so many others across South Africa, celebrate the day by donning traditional garb and tucking into a traditional braai or potjiekos.

The name was changed to ‘Braai4Heritage’ at the end of 2007 which received the backing of South Africa’s National Heritage Council.

It is in this context that the Eldorado Park community celebrates Heritage Day with a huge emphasis placed on family unity.

Against this backdrop, Kliptown Primary held a Fun Day aimed at uniting parents and pupils of all races at the school.

School principal Locksley Banks shared his view of the day, “Our heritage encompasses everything, from our shared cuisine to the indigenous fauna and flora unique to South Africa.”

Many South Africans have their views on the importance of Heritage Day as a unifying force, as illustrated by Cathay Trowe Yelena, business manager at Crisp Kitchen, who added that, “Women are the custodians of heritage and culture. They give birth to and pass on cultures and traditions to the next generation through cuisine and storytelling.”

Bevelyn Makue(34), head of news and ‘Maak ‘n plan’ presenter on EldosFM  is of the firm belief that parents have a responsibility to pass information about lineage and family history on to their children.