'We cannot ignore the racial divisions': EFF calls Heritage Day a 'mockery'

Heritage Day 'must be a day to rededicate ourselves to the fight for a South Africa where all our people have access to land', says Leigh-Ann Mathys

While many reflected on the lives lost to gain freedom and celebrated South Africa's diverse culture on Heritage Day, the EFF “rejected” the celebrations, citing the ills of apartheid still haunting society. 

EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys described the holiday as a “mockery”, saying it cannot be celebrated under conditions where women live in poverty and where racial divisions exist in society.

“Heritage Day under these conditions is a mockery. The government has failed to deliver on the promise of true gender equality with policies that continue to entrench patriarchal oppression,” Mathys said.

“We cannot ignore the racial divisions that plague our society. Racism runs deep, from the workplace to our schools, and even in government policies. Our people still experience the dehumanising effects of racial inequality when our children are marginalised in schools, where they have to learn in colonisers' languages, isolated from their mother tongues.

“The illusion of a 'rainbow nation' has failed and we live in a society that continues to marginalise the African majority, while white supremacist institutions and individuals operate with impunity.”

The celebration of South Africa's heritage cannot be reduced to “braais and traditional outfits”.

How can we celebrate unity in diversity when the promises of the Freedom Charter remain unfulfilled.MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

“Our heritage is not in monuments or celebrations of cultural diversity alone — it is in the blood, sweat and sacrifices of those who fought for freedom and in the struggle against white monopoly capital, corruption and exploitation.”

Mathys urged South Africans to redirect their focus towards achieving an equal society.

“The EFF calls on South Africans to reflect on the meaning of Heritage Day. It must be a day to rededicate ourselves to the fight for a South Africa where our people have access to land and our country's vast mineral wealth that has been denied to black people and Africans in particular.”

The EFF was not the only party to criticise the celebration of Heritage Day — the MK Party shared similar sentiments.

“While Heritage Day is supposed to be a commemoration of our rich cultural tapestry, it is overshadowed by the reality that millions of South Africans, particularly Africans, remain impoverished, jobless and landless. How can we celebrate unity in diversity when the promises of the Freedom Charter remain unfulfilled and the wealth of our land is still inaccessible to its rightful owners?” said MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

Other parties, including the DA, UDM, ANC and ActionSA, embraced the holiday to honour diversity and South Africa's rich cultures.

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