OUDTSHOORN – Acting President, Paul Mashatile, has called on South Africans to showcase and preserve their heritage, regardless of cultural background or tribe.
Delivering the keynote address at the national Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape, Mashatile said safeguarding the country's diversity is a collective responsibility.
This year's celebrations are held under the theme: Re-imagine our Heritage Institutions for a New Era.
Mashatile explained that the theme highlights why all South Africans should use heritage as a means to create a society that is adaptable, responsive, and inclusive.
READ | Mashatile leads government's Heritage Day celebrations
He also said that the theme recognises the country’s society, through culture, continues to evolve in the face of social, economic, and technological challenges, he said.
During his address, Mashatile said that heritage institutions must be re-evaluated and reinvented to remain relevant and accessible, while also helping to tackle social issues.
These institutions, he said, must be positioned to contribute to government's efforts to address unemployment, crime, and social fragmentation.
'Our heritage institutions nurture our cultural identity and offer economic opportunities in sectors such as tourism and the arts,' Mashatile said.