MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Western Cape residents reflect on Reconciliation Day

Western Cape residents reflect on Reconciliation Day

Western Cape residents reflect on Reconciliation Day

As the country commemorates National Reconciliation Day, residents of Western Cape have reflected on how far the country has come since the advent of democracy.

“We come from a painful past where we were oppressed and treated like outcasts, but now we have democracy. We must forgive all those who were our oppressors,” Ntsika Madela from Vredendal told SAnews.

Madela’s comments come as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the 2024 National Day of Reconciliation commemoration held at the Vredendal North Sports Ground in the Western Cape’s Matzikama  Local Municipality on Monday.

The theme for the 2024 National Day of Reconciliation is: “Healing Historical Wounds and Forging New Futures”.

Observed annually on 16 December, the National Day of Reconciliation was established in 1995 after the end of apartheid. The public holiday aims to promote national unity and bridge historical divides.

To Western Cape communities, the celebration of the National Day of Reconciliation in their province was a special occasion.

Susan Marthys from Bonthevel, told SAnews that many had suffered at the hands of apartheid.

“During the apartheid government, we suffered a lot at the hands of the oppressors, some of our people could not live to enjoy the democracy we are enjoying today,” Marthys said.

Marthys said it was time for South Africans to preach peace and forget about the painful past.

In his address to the nation President Ramaphosa said that while the past may be behind us, the country is left with its wounds. 

“We cannot heal these historical wounds by forgetting our past. There are things that should be done to heal the wounds of the past. But we must also learn from our past. 

We have come a long way as a country of diverse cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions,” said the President.

He spoke of Vredendal as a beautiful and diverse community that is an integral part of our rainbow nation. 

“Here, a person can be as proud of their coloured heritage or their Afrikaans language as they are of their South African identity.

“They can be white or African or Indian, speak English or Xhosa or any other language, while being a full and equal member of the South African nation.

“The apartheid regime tried to divide us and turn us against one another, but they did not succeed.  Through democracy we have worked to restore the dignity of all who suffered under apartheid, including coloured people,” said the President. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

Edwin
Mon, 12/16/2024 – 13:11

196 views

As the country commemorates National Reconciliation Day, residents of Western Cape have reflected on how far the country has come since the advent of democracy.

“We come from a painful past where we were oppressed and treated like outcasts, but now we have democracy. We must forgive all those who were our oppressors,” Ntsika Madela from Vredendal told SAnews.

Madela’s comments come as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the 2024 National Day of Reconciliation commemoration held at the Vredendal North Sports Ground in the Western Cape’s Matzikama  Local Municipality on Monday.

The theme for the 2024 National Day of Reconciliation is: “Healing Historical Wounds and Forging New Futures”.

Observed annually on 16 December, the National Day of Reconciliation was established in 1995 after the end of apartheid. The public holiday aims to promote national unity and bridge historical divides.

To Western Cape communities, the celebration of the National Day of Reconciliation in their province was a special occasion.

Susan Marthys from Bonthevel, told SAnews that many had suffered at the hands of apartheid.

“During the apartheid government, we suffered a lot at the hands of the oppressors, some of our people could not live to enjoy the democracy we are enjoying today,” Marthys said.

Marthys said it was time for South Africans to preach peace and forget about the painful past.

In his address to the nation President Ramaphosa said that while the past may be behind us, the country is left with its wounds. 

“We cannot heal these historical wounds by forgetting our past. There are things that should be done to heal the wounds of the past. But we must also learn from our past. 

We have come a long way as a country of diverse cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions,” said the President.

He spoke of Vredendal as a beautiful and diverse community that is an integral part of our rainbow nation. 

“Here, a person can be as proud of their coloured heritage or their Afrikaans language as they are of their South African identity.

“They can be white or African or Indian, speak English or Xhosa or any other language, while being a full and equal member of the South African nation.

“The apartheid regime tried to divide us and turn us against one another, but they did not succeed.  Through democracy we have worked to restore the dignity of all who suffered under apartheid, including coloured people,” said the President. –SAnews.gov.za 
 

Watch a Western Cape residents reflect on Reconciliation Day related video:

Stunning South Africa:

Have you visited MyPR?

MyPR.co.za offers free to publish press releases for your news site, blog or offline publication. Use the handy REPUBLISH facility or the Full Text RSS Feeds or just copy and paste.

Straton Electrical | Straton Solar | Straton Prepaid | Straton Plumbing | Straton IoT | Straton eBikes | BA Systems | Mbane Contracting | Reach Trust

Category: Tag: , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

  • Publish the Call, Then Publish the Grade

    Dear Editor, South African football fans argue about everything — lineups, referees, who should start up front. But there’s one argument we never have, because nobody gives us the numbers: were the predictions we read all week actually any good? I help run XG Mind AI, a small independent football data lab. Our rule is…

  • Don’t Ignore a SASSA Review Notice — It Is Not a Cancellation

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. SASSA has reminded beneficiaries that a grant review is not a cancellation. A review simply checks whether a beneficiary still meets the qualifying requirements — it can be triggered by a change in income, employment, marital status, address, contact details…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. The difference between the South African football team and a tea bag is that the tea bag stays in the cup