Creative Consulting and Development Works would like to extend our sympathy to the Asmal family as we join the rest of South Africa in celebrating Kader Asmal and his life as an activist academic and politician. His ANC comrades hail him as a “selfless man of honour” and that “his death must be a reminder for all of us of the non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa we committed to build”. Kader represented the anti-Apartheid movement as a committed ANC member from the United Kingdom during his early professional life after being exiled by the Apartheid government. In exile he was awarded the Prix UNESCO award for his work in human rights, founded the British Anti-Apartheid Movement, and served as Chairperson for the Irish Apartheid movement. When he returned to South Africa he became a professor of human rights at University of the Western Cape before he was tapped by the first democratic government to be the Minister of Water and Forestry and later as Minister of Education (a position for which he was appointed personally by President Nelson Mandela). He was also involved in many other anti-racism and human rights commissions and movements throughout his life.
Professor Asmal’s memoir will be released in August, and the official launch for the book will be in September at the Open Book Festival in Cape Town.
Youth Day, 16 June, is a national holiday that commemorates the 1976 student uprisings in Soweto. In 1953 the National Party government of South Africa introduced The Bantu Education Act, which segregated the education system along the lines of race. While this act enabled more children to attend school, it forced children of color into a secondary and substandard education system designed to produce a more docile workforce. Overwhelming frustration began to take hold of communities as a result of this exclusionary educational system causing many children to drop out of school. In 1976, the government took another step to alienate the majority of non-white South Africans when they introduced the compulsory use of Afrikaans in classes starting from Grade 7. As the majority of South Africans did not speak Afrikaans as their first language, teachers were not able to teach their subjects and students had difficulties learning. Very dissatisfied with the direction the government had taken the education system, the youth in Soweto decided to demonstrate. Over 20.000 students gathered on 16 June to march to the office of the department of education in Booysens to express their dissatisfaction.
Hector Pieterson
The peaceful demonstrators were met by armed police and military vehicles. Without warning, a policeman shot into the crowd. The unprovoked shot tore through the crowd and struck twelve year old Hector Pieterson. The photo of his lifeless body has become a symbol of uprisings in Soweto.
The official number of deaths after the brutal conflict is only 23, but unofficial numbers range anywhere from 200-600 and most of the victims were younger than 23. The student uprisings of 1976 were a turning point in the long struggle for liberation and helped to guide South Africa to a more inclusive, democratic order. As South Africans stop work to remember this day, let’s all take a moment to remember the lessons history has taught us.
Creative Consulting and Development Works joins the rest of the world in mourning the loss and celebrating the legendary life of Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu activist, mother and liberation icon. MaSisulu made her mark on history by standing up for human rights and dignity for all people during the dark years of Apartheid era South Africa as the wife of activist and politician Walter Sisulu as well as in her own right as a member of the ANC Women’s League. One of her most notable stands was when she and other ANC Women’s league members led all women demonstrations of civil disobedience against the pass laws in 1956. Thousands of women took their fight against racial and gender oppression to the world stage by marching to the Union buildings in Pretoria to protest against the unfair classification system that had for so long restricted the everyday lives of the majority of South Africans.
She will be remembered as a graceful pillar of justice, who maintained a strong commitment to her family and country throughout some of the most chaotic times in South African history.
Vulindlela Cultural Group perform at the Heritage Day celebrations at Iziko National Museum of South Africa. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu
This Heritage Day, young and old people from different cultural backgrounds, different ethnic groups and religions, who speak different languages, showed South Africa is united at the Iziko National Museum of South Africa in Cape Town.
On Friday 24 September, heritage in all its forms was celebrated at the Museum. People from different backgrounds shared their heritage customs and culture through music and dance. Indigenous food was offered so that people could experience the taste of diversity.
Drumming sessions with Bevil Spence showed the spirit of imbumba yamanyama (rainbow nation). Every beat of the drum presented African rhythm.
The audience was entertained by other cultural groups that include, Ikapa Dance from Phillipi and Cross Roads, Vulindlela Cultural Group from Gugulethu and La Rosa Spanish Dance. Vulindlela performed a poem that touched many hearts.
La Rosa Spanish Dance share their Spanish heritage with the audience at the Iziko National Museum of South Africa. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu
Museum offered free Planetarium shows, to accommodate both children and adults. The one was on indigenous astronomy, the other on dinosaurs, and a show entitled Tick Tock the Mouse & the Clock was also shown on the hour.
Fly the South African Flag! Photo: Media Club South Africa
The quarter finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup are here and all South Africans are being urged to take part in a national march to make sure that the second half of this great tournament starts with a BANG!
Some notable corporate companies, as well as the Department of Arts and Culture, Gauteng Province and Gauteng Tourism have asked South Africans to take to the streets tomorrow, 3 July, and wave their flags in what they call the Million Flags March.
Artslink said in a press release: “All citizens of the country are urged to wake up with the same spirit that we showed on 9 June when the crowds gathered in Sandton and other parts of the country to raise the flag for Bafana Bafana two days before the kick-off on 11 June. The benefits of the World Cup in most countries go down in their history books long after the first kick-off. How we treat our visitors, engage with them and ensure their safety in our country is crucial to the county’s tourism efforts.”
Photo: Henti Smith via Flickr
A specific route is planned for the march in Soweto. It will begin at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital via Maponya Mall, then to Jabulani Mall, Dobsonville Mall, Meadowlands to Protea Gardens Mall, then end at the FIFA Fan Fest in Elkah stadium in Soweto.
But in all parts of the country people are called on to wave the South African flag in support of their country’s hosting of the World Cup. The flags of other participating countries are also welcome as South Africans should continue to support the remaining teams in the tournament, even though Bafana Bafana have gone out with their heads held high. And of course blowing the phenomenal vuvuzela is encouraged!
More about the South African flag:
South African soccer fans wave their flags. Photo: Steve Evans via Flickr
The South African flag was designed by State Herald Frederick Brownell and was adopted on 27 April 1994, during the first democratic election in the country. According to Media Club South Africa the flag was first flown on 10 May 1994 – the day Nelson Mandela became president.
The “Y” shape of the flag symbolises the coming together of people from different racial, cultural, religious, political and linguistic backgrounds to form one united nation.
When displayed, the black triangle is meant to be on the left and the red band is meant to be on top. The South African flag is the only six coloured flag in the world and one of the youngest.
Wavin’ Flag
One of the official songs of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is “Wavin’ Flag”, sung by Somali-Canadian artist K’naan, who has lived through the Somali Civil War. It was originally written in honor of the victims of the 2009 earthquake in Haiti. K’naan
joined hands with a group of Canadian artists in a fundraiser video called “Young Artists for Haiti.”
You can watch the World Cup Celebration Mix of the song below to get you in the mood for waving your flag tomorrow!
Creative Consulting & Development Works thinks the Million Flags March is an great initiative to sustain the amazing spirit of nationhood that has been felt in South Africa since the start of this tournament. We will be sure to fly our flags tomorrow!
Creative Consulting & Development Works is a research, evaluation and communications consultancy, servicing nonprofits, government and funders with innovative solutions in a development context.
On our blog, Development Talks, we discuss politics and social development. We are interested in the impact of politics on the ordinary citizen and the political activities of those on the ground.
