Pretoria – A campaign that is aimed at educating learners and citizens about nation building and social cohesion will be launched at Mochochonono Primary school, in Moletsane, Soweto, this week.
The Department of Arts and Culture will launch the campaign, in partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Education, through the broadcaster’s radio stations in the 11 official languages.
On Thursday, learners from different schools across the country are expected to sing the National Anthem at 7:45am, to mark the official launch of the National Identity Radio campaign.
South Africa has recently witnessed a sporadic outbreak of racial incidents on social media.
“This threatens and undermines our hard earned democracy and freedom. As a nation, we cannot simply turn a blind eye or assume that the wounds of the past will heal without tangible interventions, dialogue and honest conversations about the state of our nation,” Arts and Culture Deputy Minister Rejoice Mabudafhasi said on Tuesday.
The campaign is an extension of the Department of Arts and Culture’s ‘Flag in every School’ project, which is aimed at educating learners and citizens about nation building and social cohesion.
The programme includes promoting the singing of the National Anthem, reciting the Preamble of the Constitution and placing the National Flag in schools.
“The campaign’s objective is to mobilise all South Africans… to strengthen relations… towards a common identity. This is where our role and responsibilities, as active citizens of a country that is striving towards a national consciousness on eradicating racism and other discriminations, become even more important,” Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi said.
The campaign will be launched under the slogan ‘Afurika Tshipembe lashu’, meaning Our South Africa.
“As a young nation, we all need to build patriotism and love of our beautiful country,” she said.
The nine-week long radio campaign will include promos, fillers, interviews and discussions on various education and current affairs programmes, in all 11 official languages. – SAnews.gov.za
