Noxolo Miya
Pretoria - During April, South Africans need to sit back and reflect on the history of the country, and the pivotal role played by freedom fighters who sought to liberate people from the oppressive apartheid regime.
This is according to Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa, who was speaking during the launch of Freedom Month and the government’s programme to celebrate the gains and achievements made in the fight for democracy and liberation.
The month-long celebrations include events and activities that highlight South Africans’ freedom and the challenges that still persist.
The department hosted this year’s Freedom Month, launched under the theme “Consolidating and Safeguarding our Democratic Gains”, at Freedom Park. Kodwa was alongside his deputy, Nocawe Mafu, and Freedom Park CEO Jane Mufamadi.
The guest list included popular Generations: The Legacy actress Nambitha Mpumlwana, cultural groups and social cohesion advocate chairperson Xoliswa Bam.
“The country’s history plays a crucial role in shaping its future, and it is essential to preserve the memories of those who fought for freedom and democracy. However, I must acknowledge that the way we have been celebrating national days, we have not reached out to other national groups,” said Kodwa.
“It must also be noted that this is the 29th anniversary of the nation’s constitutional democratic dispensation aimed at deepening the understanding of where we come from as a nation, and how our democracy was achieved by identifying and celebrating untold stories and unsung heroes and heroines in every community.”
Mpumlwana said Freedom Month highlighted the importance of preserving the country’s past and celebrating its diverse cultural heritage, especially in the film and arts sector. She also spoke about using the acquired freedom to liberate actors within the industry.
“We sang about this day before we knew how it would come, and in those days, artists were called ‘cultural workers’. Now we need to sing a different song, a song of empowerment, because now freedom has been won, but how do we manifest it, how do we make it ours and create a new dispensation ... that will cease to see artists as paupers?” said Mpumlwana.
While some South Africans see Freedom Month as an opportunity to celebrate the country’s progress, others criticise it as being just a symbolic gesture that fails to address the country’s pressing issues, particularly high unemployment and gender-based violence.
In the study released by SaferSpace, an online NGO formed in 2014 for knowledge sharing and a networking portal for community safety: “More than half of all the women murdered (56%) in 2009 were killed by an intimate male partner, and between 25% and 40% of South African women have experienced sexual and/or physical abuse in their lifetime.”
They said although Freedom Month serves as a reminder of South Africa’s progress towards democracy, it should also be viewed critically and objectively to address the country’s ongoing socio-economic and political challenges as the country heads for the 2024 general elections.
Pretoria News