National Heritage Day celebrations come to Tshwane

Mzansi celebrates Heritage Month annually in September, marking the 24th as a public holiday. It is celebrated to mark our nation’s diverse culture and heritage. 

This year, the commemorative event hosted by Government will be held at the Union Buildings in Tshwane under the theme “Celebrating the Legacy of Solomon Linda and South Africa’s Indigenous Music”.

The celebration of Heritage Month has created a conducive environment for all people to embrace and celebrate what was inherited or bequeathed to us by our forebears. South Africans are urged to support the culture of reading and incorporate it into their daily lifestyles.

This year’s theme pays tribute to the 60th anniversary of the passing of singer and song writer Solomon Popoli Linda. He is best known as the composer of the song “Mbube” which later became the popular music success “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and gave its name to the Mbube style of isicathamiya a capella music.

Heritage Month 2022 focuses on South Africa’s indigenous music with a spotlight on isicathamiya music and its immense contribution to sport, arts, culture and heritage, especially for emigrant communities in hostels, townships and peri urban areas.

It also presents an opportunity to commemorate the centenaries of our late resistance and liberation struggle icons, and honour their contributions towards a free and democratic South Africa. 

As part of this years’ Heritage Month programme, the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture unveiled five Legends and Living Human Treasures’ publications in honour of the late legendary poet, Don Mattera; the living legends and music icons, Abigail Kubeka, Letta Mbulu, and Caiphus Semenya, and iconic photojournalist Peter Magubane.