Heritage is something quite personal and changes from person to person. It is something that we as South Africans particularly find important to recognize because of the diversity of our people.
In his address marking Heritage Day 1996, the late former State President Nelson Mandela said: “When our first democratically elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation.”
By observing this day as Legacy Motor Group, we hope to highlight and celebrate the cultural diversities within our Company.
On Friday, 23 September 2022, we celebrated as ONE team as LMG referencing to The Power Of One, by wearing traditional clothing to celebrate our cultural heritage as South Africans.
Why We Celebrate Heritage Day in South Africa
Heritage Day on 24 September recognises and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation. South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many cultures that make up the population of South Africa. Various events are staged throughout the country to commemorate this day.
Living heritage is the foundation of all communities and an essential source of identity and continuity. Aspects of living heritage include: cultural tradition, oral history, performance, ritual, popular memory, skills and techniques, indigenous knowledge system and the holistic approach to nature, society and social relationships. In South Africa the term “intangible cultural heritage” is used interchangeably with the term “living heritage”.
Living heritage plays an important role in promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, reconciliation, peace, and economic development. In every community, there are living human treasures who possess a high degree of knowledge, skills, and history pertaining to different aspects of diverse living heritage. It is therefore important for South Africans to reclaim, restore and preserve these various aspects of living heritage to accelerate the use of living heritage to address challenges communities are facing today.
The Department of Arts and Culture developed a draft policy on the South African living heritage.
