Happy Heritage day! Unfortunately today is a little like the photographs I took yesterday, but I am sure that is not going to stop many a South African braai today!
I googled Heritage Day and found the below off www.info.gov.za
“The day is one of our newly created public holidays and its significance rests in recognising aspects of South African culture which are both tangible and difficult to pin down: creative expression, our historical inheritance, language, the food we eat as well as the land in which we live.
Within a broader social and political context, the day’s events…are a powerful agent for promulgating a South African identity, fostering reconciliation and promoting the notion that variety is a national asset as opposed to igniting conflict.
Heritage has defined as “that which we inherit: the sum total of wild life and scenic parks, sites of scientific or historical importance, national monuments, historic buildings, works of art, literature and music, oral traditions and museum collections together with their documentation.”
In an address marking Heritage Day in 1996, (former) President Mandela stated:
“When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.
We did so knowing that the struggles against the injustice and inequities of the past are part of our national identity; they are part of our culture. We knew that, if indeed our nation has to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of division and conflict, we had to acknowledge those whose selfless efforts and talents were dedicated to this goal of non-racial democracy.”
So how fitting to feature one of my good friends Babazeka . To me Babazeka represents all of the above. Recognizing South African Culture and empowering those less fortunate to embrace and create their cultural techniques and designs into small businesses. We have a cultural craft movement in this country so unique and that is currently may I say “High Fashion” on the catwalks round the globe. The importance is knowing where it came from and the people and history behind it.
So I am delighted that Babazeka has big things up their sleeve for us to come. Below are some pics from Usisi , a new supplier joining Babazeka Shop in the future.
I cant wait to see what Babazeka has to show us next!
