As we celebrate another Heritage Day this year, I wish that as South Africans we take the time to recognise the meaning and importance of this holiday.
This is a day on which we are encouraged to celebrate our unity in diversity. Tomorrow we are meant to rejoice in the pluralism that defines a nation with multiple cultures, beliefs, traditions and languages coexisting.
While we celebrate the positive side of our heritage, we should also honour the sacrifices made by many to win us the freedom to express our difference in culture, belief and language freely. We must also acknowledge our whole past, warts and all, to appreciate what is exceptional about SA. We can use history lessons to avoid repeating our forebears' mistakes and achieve what they could only dream of.
We now face numerous challenges that have squeezed out the hope, optimism and belief we had during the early days of the 'rainbow nation'. This has not just been the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, but because of years of decline in our nation and the deferment of the dream of democracy. People no longer believe in the state because it failed to provide a better life and fight corruption.
A recent Afrobarometer survey revealed that 64% of South Africans believed that corruption has worsened over the past year. Another survey carried out by Afrobarometer in July showed that there had been a decline in trust in public institutions, with trust being at its lowest since the survey began in 2006.
Despite all these challenges, I believe that we can regain our hope and optimism and unite South Africans in fighting the challenges we face. By committing ourselves today to building a solid and enduring heritage that will uplift our people not merely in spirit but in terms of their socioeconomic circumstances.
As a resident of Johannesburg, I know that this can be done by making real the promise of the city of gold, making it the world-class city that it can be, not through marketing gimmicks but through structural change that will touch every person in the city.
Johannesburg may not be a world-class city as the current motto suggests. Still, we have world-class resident, and we have an enormous resource of world-class talent in our schools, universities and businesses.
This population of world-class individuals needs a world-class government that can provide the environment for them to unleash their potential and be as entrepreneurial and creative as possible in an open, fair environment with great opportunities. Building this kind of city will be our heritage that will stand firm for our children and their children.
To build this world-class city we must also be a society that is more appreciative of the tangible representations of our heritage, such as our museums, monuments, history and landmarks. These physical representations are a medium for us to have a conversation with our past and to reflect on the future.
We cannot have mere rhetoric while these places are dilapidated because of neglect. A few months ago, the Apartheid Museum closed its doors due to the devastation that have been wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the pandemic is a recent threat, many of our heritage sites have been under severe strain because decay has been allowed to spread because there is no maintenance or care. Mandela House on Vilakazi Street is under liquidation, while the late leader's house in Alexandra is in a state of deterioration.
The failure of these places reflects the wider decay we see in other areas, such as infrastructure that is not maintained, power substations that keep blowing up, roads that are not fixed, street lights that are consistently out. These museums are meant to remind us of the horrible past that we were able to overcome, indicating our capability as a people.
Cllr Mpho Phalatse is DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.