Ermelo - Decked in his green and gold Springbok replica shirt, 30-year-old Oupa Mnisi puts up his braai stand in front of his double story house situated in Wesseltown Township, outside Ermelo, Mpumalanga.
He is joined by his three neighbours and later more family members and friends gather at the Mnisi's and the day turns into a festive affair of beer, meat and boerewors. As a stranger in the area, I quickly introduce myself as a journalist and everybody welcomes me to observe the festivities. Soon the house is packed with people dressed in a combination of both traditional African attire and modern designer clothing to enjoy the celebration.
The Mnisi's are not alone in this practice. It has become a tradition for South Africans from all walks of life to use National Heritage Day as "braai day". After all where else in the world would you find boerewors and meat cooked in this fashion? Any South African will tell you, a braai is not the same thing as the barbecue! The braai is considered to be a South African pastime.
Like many South Africans, Mnisi regards braaiing is not just about the food but more about the company. It is central to South African life and few events are complete without a braai.
"For us this is our heritage, it's a South African thing, we chill (relax) together as friends and family talk politics, sports and everything that makes our country tick so that's us," says Mnisi.
"We do observe the day and we know the history and its objectives but we choose to celebrate our heritage this way," he adds.
His next door neighbour Muzi joins in the conversation and agrees that nothing beats good company and a good braai. "This is our own way of catching up and having a good time and in the spirit of celebrating our diversity, everyone is welcome"
In traditional African culture, September 24 was deemed Shaka's Day in honour of the well-known Zulu warrior. The South African parliament in 1995 decided to make the day a holiday to celebrate the country's cultural diversity and heritage. In 2005, a media campaign also sought to re-brand the day as "National Braai Day"
Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile describes Heritage Day a wonderful way of celebrating national unity, "it means bringing together all South Africans to celebrate their common good" he says.
South Africa's history, throughout the centuries, has largely been characterised by domination, conflict as well as resistance.
The country has also experienced struggles against slavery and later apartheid which divided the nation's people. Officials say government wants to use days like Heritage Day to heal the divisions. Either through celebration of their different cultures or braaiing some meat in their back yards, it seems South Africans are heeding the message of unity and nationhood. - BuaNews
