Today South Africans celebrate National Reconciliation Day. But with this holiday taking place in the middle of the festive season, one wonders just how many people are aware of its meaning.
SAnews reporter More Matshediso took to the streets of Pretoria and discovered that many people, especially the youth, know very little about this national day.
16 December was introduced as Reconciliation Day to help South Africans reconcile the horror of the events of past and the promise of a shared future, regardless of race, culture or creed.
But just like 24 September, which is the National Heritage Day, most young people say they prefer to spend their day on 16 December attending parties, braais and get-together events.
Some, like Emmerenci Oelofse from Pretoria, feel that it would be better if the day was well publicised to teach young people about the meaning behind it. Oelofse believes race relations between young South Africans are healthier compared to those among the older generation.
“Young people do not have a problem with communicating and working together with people of different races, but older people still have that issue of looking at someone as black or white,” she says.
Oelofse, who is a student at the University of Pretoria, grew up interacting with people of different races and with various cultural backgrounds. She says she sees every individual equally important despite their race.
“I don’t think the youth have a problem looking beyond issue of race and many other aspects associated with discrimination. People need to learn and respect others’ cultures.”
Oelofse feels that the country is getting somewhere in terms of social cohesion and building a rainbow nation, especially amongst the youth.
“We have interracial relationships and most people are getting used to that and I believe as time goes on, younger people will take over the country and we will finally have people of difference races living harmoniously together,” she says.
For 26-year-old Thulani Mahlatsi, inequality makes it hard for people to reconcile and that it would be difficult to achieve nation building if inequalities persist.
Mahlatsi, who is studying towards his second qualification in Accounting at the Central University of Technology in the Free State, thinks that black and white South Africans struggle to reconcile because the injustices brought by apartheid are still not dealt with fully.
Like Oelofse, Mahlatsi feels that National Reconciliation Day is losing its meaning, as he and most of his peers have no clue what the day is all about.
“The day is just more relevant to our parents and older people because they are the ones who experienced racial discrimination and segregation,” he says.
“Government has assisted us in terms of fighting for spatial issues. We now live anywhere we want despite our skin colour… We have access to all services and have some freedom. There is still a lot to be done though…”
Phoebe De La Rey, 63, says people on the ground are standing together and that more work needs to be done at government level.
“If reconciliation can be brought by a public holiday, then let’s at least have this one once a month,” she says.
De La Rey says the politics of the country and perceived failures of government were not helping citizens to achieve reconciliation fully and build a cohesive society “because people who hold top positions care much about their status and getting rich than developing the country”.
“This makes white people believe that South Africa is slowly moving back to apartheid. And people do not want that.”
Maria Sehata, 43, echoed De La Rey’s sentiments, saying a lot of work needs to be done in government but ordinary citizens are winning the fight against racial discrimination amongst other things.
“Nelson Mandela and his Cabinet fought a great fight because we are now able to live and work together with white people, unlike in the times of apartheid government,” says Sehata.
“I personally enjoy working with my fellow black and white South Africans alike.”
Whatever the views of different people, one thing that is clear is government wants people to mark 16 December as a day for showing intent of building a nation and unity amongst its people. - SAnews.gov.za
