Thembisa Shologu
South Africa's rich history, a tapestry of diverse cultures and experiences, should be preserved, told and embedded in youth's minds, says Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture Morakane Mosupyoe.
Speaking at the Heritage Day celebrations in Munsieville, West Rand, on Sunday, Mosupyoe encouraged the youth to explore history and gain a sense of belonging by reading accredited sources such as the Heritage Council website.
Heritage Day serves as a poignant reminder to value and enjoy the present and to preserve and pass it on to future generations. Mosupyoe stressed that it should always be a reference point to prevent future generations from forgetting the painful chapters that defined our nation's past.
"Heritage Day is no ordinary day; it is a day which invokes our history as a province, as communities, as families and even as individuals. It is a day when our multi-faceted but rich and positive identities are reasserted.
"This is a history that must always serve as a reference point lest future generations forget and lapse into the same grievous errors," emphasised MEC Mosupyoe, highlighting heritage's vital role in shaping a nation's identity. 
She acknowledged that South Africa's heritage has been shaped by dramatic shifts in land ownership, livelihoods, languages, and social structures, underscoring the importance of preserving this heritage.
"Our social and cultural diversity is a strength, not a negative," she stated. "We, the people of South Africa, know not less than anyone that it was partly on the grounds of our culture that the history of our country was forged in the most negative of ways. 
"It was with reference to the notion of culture that humanity was artificially divided into separate communities."
Mogale City Executive Mayor Lucky Sele used the event to reflect on the significance of confronting a painful past that lingers and emphasised the government's role in fostering a community that respects each other as individuals first. 
"Our history is a painful one. This past is refusing to stay abandoned where it should be, and the future wonders how long it gets to be postponed.
"A person should not feel inadequate because they are born different either because of their skin colour, language, or church they attend. All of us are equal," said Sele.
He paid tribute to the Munsieville four – Petrus Ntshole, Thomas Molatlhegi, Richard Motsoahae, and Josiah Mocumi – who were executed by the apartheid government in 1964. 
Sele also recalled the forced removals that displaced Munsieville residents to expand white suburbs in Krugersdorp in the late '80s, praising the community's successful resistance against this injustice.
"The people of Munsieville stood up and fought gallantly to defend their land. We are the only community in the land that physically and legally fought forced removals and succeeded," he said. 
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Utility Management Services, Peter Modise, urged communities not to forget their roots and the concept of ubuntu. He emphasised how, over time, black people have drifted away from their cultural traditions and values.
"We have come a long way as black people. We used to share blankets and clothes with our cousins, but all that has changed because, as parents, we do not allow our children even to visit our relatives' homes. 
"When they visit after they have left, we immediately wash our blankets and fumigate our home," Modise lamented.
He encouraged everyone to use Heritage Day to reconnect with their roots and gain a deeper understanding of their heritage.