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President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on business and other stakeholders to work with government to protect and conserve historical, cultural and natural heritage sites, particularly in marginalised communities.

President Ramaphosa made the call in his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, ahead of the Heritage Day celebrations.

South Africa will on Tuesday observe Heritage Day, where citizens will celebrate the rich cultural tapestry that makes up the nation. 

President Ramaphosa noted that while heritage preservation is a responsibility of government, the private sector, corporate sponsors, philanthropists, heritage organisations and other stakeholders also have an important role to play in ensuring these legacies are safeguarded for future generations. 

“Private sector support for heritage preservation is uneven. While some high-profile heritage sites like Robben Island, the Mandela House in Soweto, Constitution Hill, and others receive donor funding, other less prominent institutions, events, and initiatives struggle to obtain support. 

“As a result, many important sites of memory have fallen into disrepair. This is a wasted opportunity, because a number of these sites could stimulate local economies and provide work opportunities to the communities in which they are situated,” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said protecting and conserving historical, cultural, and natural heritage sites was also vitally important for nation-building and national reconciliation. 

“On this Heritage Day, I call on business and other stakeholders to work with government in the cause of heritage preservation, particularly in marginalised communities. There is already laudable work being done in this regard. 

“By working together as government, business, and society, we can use our national heritage to uplift communities, create opportunities and make us all proud to be South African,” the President said.

Highlighting the significance of Heritage Day, President Ramaphosa noted that having emerged from a painful apartheid past where indigenous customs, traditions and languages were denigrated and marginalised, Heritage Day is one of the most important events on the national calendar. 

“It is a valuable opportunity for cross-cultural exchange and for building bridges of tolerance and understanding between races and different ethnic groups. I have always found it heartwarming to see how South Africans from all walks of life celebrate Heritage Day in their communities, schools, workplaces, places of worship and institutions of higher learning. 

“It has become a regular facet of Heritage Day to see South Africans share their traditions, cuisine, dress, music, and other forms of cultural expression with their compatriots. Beyond the benefits for cultural self-expression, pride and nation-building, heritage preservation is an important driver of economic growth, job creation and sustainable development,” President Ramaphosa said. 

South Africa is perfectly placed to use its rich cultural and natural heritage to promote economic growth. 

“As one of the world’s most mega biodiverse countries, South Africa’s natural heritage attracts tourists from around the world, supporting local job creation and investment in natural resource infrastructure. By way of example, in December 2023 alone, there were more than 400 000 visitors to sites like the Table Mountain National Park and Robben Island,” the President highlighted. 

Coupled with this, he said, South Africa has an abundance of historical sites across the country that span the pre-colonial, colonial, apartheid, and democratic eras. 

“These sites are not just important for tourism. They are also sites of memory and monuments to the past that serve to educate the younger generation of South Africans,” President Ramaphosa said. 

To preserve the country’s rich heritage, the President underscored a need to do more to attract young South Africans to careers and opportunities in the sector. 

He said through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the National Heritage Council and National Arts Council has provided unemployed young people with work opportunities in film and digital media production, cultural project management, storytelling, language preservation and as museum guides.

Government will commemorate Heritage Day at Meqheleng Stadium in Ficksburg, in the Free State, under the theme: “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom”.

This year’s theme puts a spotlight on South Africa’s liberation movements who received various forms of solidarity and support from neighbouring countries during the liberation struggle. – SAnews.gov.za

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