Heritage Day What?

 By Malebo Gololo

Has it become so bad that we have to commercialise even the essence of what makes us be? Some South Afrikans only celebrate who they truly are once a year and then the rest of the year they are non-blacks/non-whites. I truly honour #ShakaDay #HeritageDay and feel it goes way beyond us updating our statuses in our mother tongue and dressing in our traditional regalia. During my corporate days, I used to wear traditional outfits to work and I used to get called in a lot, and told I must save it for #HeritageDay. We have adopted so much of the western culture that we have to commemorate our "heritage"

We celebrate youth day, women's day etc... Because of the deep symbolism the events of the yesteryears have become to us. Now do we know what brought on heritage day? Some people out there don't make an effort to preserve their heritage in their daily lives. Almost like the tradition of not attending church the entire year and only attending during the easter period. I challenge us to preserve our truest being throughout the year and not conform to the burying of our true heritage. 

Below I found very insightful, a Facebook status update by Professor Setati on where this day was truly derived from

"On this day in 1828, Shaka kaSenzangakhona, Zulu king and founder of the Zulu empire, was murdered by his two half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana at kwaDukuza in the region that is today known as KwaZulu Natal.

This is the reason why today is a holiday in South Africa - heritage day. Originally the day was known as Shaka day. Each year on this day Zulu Kings and warriors gather at King Shaka's grave in Stanger and honor him.

There are several renditions of Shaka's last words and some of them have taken on a prophetic mantle - and popular South African / Zulu myth has him telling Dingane and Mhlangana that it is not they who will rule the Zulu nation but "white people who will come up from the sea." Some historians argue that the version which is probably the truest rendition comes from Mkebeni kaDabulamanzi, King Cetshwayo's nephew and grandson of King Mpande (another half-brother to Shaka) - "Are you stabbing me, kings of the earth? You will come to an end through killing one another."

So as you celebrate Heritage day, which some have decided to call National Braai day, just remember what its origins are."