Heritage Month is often associated with the colours, flavours and traditions that make South Africa's cultural landscape diverse.
The month of September brings the nation's traditional attire, food and famous dance moves to the fore. However, heritage extends far beyond what is showcased during the month.
It is also about the languages spoken at home, the knowledge passed from one generation to the next, the places and stories that shape communities, and the traditions that continue to evolve.
For the National Heritage Council (NHC), heritage is a living part of South African society, with a bearing not only on cultural identity, but also on education and socio-economic opportunities.
NHC Chief Executive Officer, Dr Thabo Manetsi, said language, for example, is one of the important ways in which cultural heritage is transferred across generations.
“Language serves as a medium through which our diverse cultural heritage is transferred and transmitted across generations — from one generation to the next,” he said in an interview with SAnews.
The challenge is how South Africa can ensure that its diverse heritage is not only celebrated, but also preserved and passed on to future generations.
He said heritage conservation often tends to compete with other “pressing” priorities like health, social welfare and education.
“This automatically translates to less prioritisation of resource allocation to heritage conservation management. However, the recent emerging trends, especially after the apex of COVID-19 pandemic, have witnessed uses of heritage as a social currency to respond to socio-economic conditions such as job creation, enterprise development and economic stimulus, through tourism, infrastructure development, creative industry and digital technology amongst others,” he explained.
Manetsi said this clearly demonstrates that heritage management serves a greater and relevant purpose beyond conservation for the sake of protection only.
He added that heritage conservation should be used to better the lives of citizens.
“Heritage conservation and its uses should be relevant to respond and contribute to concerted efforts to address the socio-economic needs of a nation, especially youth development and empowerment in a developing country like South Africa.
“This is one among several approaches that seem to attract more public interest and youth participation in conservation management which appeals to [a] deep understanding and appreciation of heritage and its conservation needs, while simultaneously presenting prospects of socio-economic opportunities,” he explained.
The NHC is a statutory body responsible for the preservation, protection and promotion of the country’s heritage.
One of the NHC's initiatives aimed at recognising those who contribute to the preservation and promotion of the country's heritage is the Golden Shield Heritage Awards (GOSHA).
The awards seek to recognise and honour excellence in heritage conservation management through public nominations of individuals and projects that have made a significant contribution to the promotion and preservation of the nation's heritage.
“Since its inception 13 years ago, the GOSHA has grown in leaps and bounds, especially through the recognition of previously suppressed aspects of heritage resources such as Living Heritage, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Liberation Heritage, Ubuntu, amongst other relevant categories, that promote broad participation and diverse representation, including cultural diversity,” he said.
Heritage and awareness
Manetsi said national days like Heritage Day are not just dates on the calendar.
“Heritage Day is particularly significant and relevant as a dedicated day solely declared in the nation’s annual calendar to raise awareness and promotion of the significance of our cultural diversity and past that has shaped our present and future. There’s great need for public education and robust public awareness that will ultimately engender patriotism in society based on African heritage,” he explained.
Asked whether, in his view, South Africans have a tendency to take heritage for granted in his view, his answer was “yes.”
“However, there is a need to constantly raise awareness, public education and promotion of heritage and its cultural significance for the benefit of the present and future generation in line with the South African Constitution and Heritage Laws,” he said.
The National Heritage Resources Act is the primary legislation that provides an integrated system for the management of South Africa’s heritage resources and their conservation so that they may be passed on future generations, among other objectives. Section 30 of the Constitution states that everyone “has the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of their choice, but no one exercising these rights may do so in a manner inconsistent with any provision of the Bill of Rights”.
As we prepare to bid farewell to Heritage Month, we should not shelve our heritage until the next Heritage Month.
“Let’s continue to use our heritage resources throughout the year and not showcase our cultural heritage only during heritage month (September) but develop and sustain our heritage through intergenerational transfer and transmission across and amongst generations, for the benefit of the present and future generations,” said Manetsi. -SAnews.gov.za
