Cape Town – International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Nomaindia Mfeketo says there is a need to initiate inter-generational dialogues for the country to restore its heritage and promote social cohesion.
The Deputy Minister said this when she delivered a lecture at the Imbizo Media Centre in Parliament, Cape Town, on Wednesday as part of Heritage Month.
Addressing a decorated audience from diverse backgrounds and cultures under the theme ‘Celebrating our Human Treasures by Asserting our African Identity’, the Deputy Minister said the dialogues were important as they would allow respective generations to draw valuable lessons from each other.
“The rich, remarkable and extremely diverse cultural heritage of South Africa has its advantages and challenges.
“As living knowledge vessels, there is a need for an intergenerational dialogue, which provides a platform of exchange between the older and younger generation.
“The time is now to cement social cohesion to further strengthen us as a people to weather these recent waves of racist torrents. We are yet to truly see our unity in our diversity, first as a country and also as a continent, a continent that humanity in its entirety calls home,” she said.
The Deputy Minister said she had noted how today’s generation, the “so-called born-frees”, are standing up for what they believe in when confronted with challenges that threaten their African identity.
“They accept nothing without questioning its relevance to their African identity. They refuse to be taught in institutions of higher learning that remain Eurocentric. Their call for decolonisation has deeply shaken the academic establishment.
“This generation asserts its African identity and is actualising our clarion call of a united Africa, at peace with itself.
“As leaders of society, we can draw many lessons from the younger generation to pursue radically different futures for Africa than its current state of dependency on the dominant economies,” she said.
Using heritage to groom future leaders
The Deputy Minister said the African continent has a rich history with great leaders from various resistance movements.
She said South Africa is in a good position to help work out solutions that befit postcolonial societies.
“We stand on the shoulders of cultural icons who fought for the liberation of the most oppressed people in … in Africa. That Africa is still here and while it is progressing, severe challenges remain and the duty is on all of us to serve Africa loyally with our respective skills sets and talents.
“We also cannot do this alone, hence the importance of the intergenerational dialogue so that we systematically mentor future leaders,” she said.
Spirit of Ubuntu to forge unity
The Deputy Minister said, meanwhile, that South Africa has made significant progress in putting ubuntu as a central focus in the country’s foreign policy.
“The spirit of ubuntu allows us to recommit ourselves to work with other Africans in our region and the rest of our continent to promote the achievement of the goal of African unity.
“That unity also means that in our own country, South Africa, we must continue to live together in unity for the sake of our children and grandchildren, who will inherit the type of society we create today.” – SAnews.gov.za
