Chair, hon Deputy Minister, indeed the Constitution of our beloved country clearly states that the people of South Africa believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity.
South Africa has a rich cultural heritage that is evident in our diverse cultural expressions, oral traditions, craftsmanship, social practices, rituals and festive events, which have always been celebrated and passed on from generation to generation.
We in the ID believe that heritage plays a crucial role in nation-building. Indeed, in our efforts to bring about social cohesion, we will need a return to the Nelson Mandela years of reconciliation so that we can begin to replace mere respect for each other's cultures with a celebration of these cultures as if they were our own.
We in the ID believe that we must also see Heritage Month 2009 within the context of the global economic meltdown - a phase of recession that has in turn resulted in large-scale job losses. It is imperative that we show solidarity with the poor through our actions. The ID would therefore like to take this opportunity to call on all South Africans to give in the spirit of ubuntu, share what we have and get involved in work that will improve our communities.
As members of the community, we need to focus on local cultural crafts, getting to know our provinces and helping to preserve our heritage. I would like to extend this and say that if you can go to the Northern Cape, to the Kalahari, you can go and see original crafts and the beauty that crafts can do, so that our children can keep this and learn from this.
Heritage Month is a time to reflect on our constitutional responsibility to develop our South African culture. Part of this means nurturing our indigenous languages and supporting South African literature. We must develop all languages to have equal status in our day-to-day lives, and not only equal status in our Constitution.
Allow me to quote from Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe when he said, and I quote:
Here is a tree rooted in African soil, nourished with waters from the rivers of Africa. Come and sit under its shade and become, with us, leaves of the same branch and branches of the same tree. We dare not compromise, nor dare we use moderate language in the cause of freedom.
I thank you.