By Swelihle Mkhize
Last week, I watched the official government-organised Heritage Day event on the SABC News channel, and honestly, it felt less like a cultural celebration and more like a political gathering. Attendees were beautifully dressed in their various traditional attire, but the mood was drowned out by endless speeches from politicians in government, including South Africa’s deputy president, Paul Mashatile.
‘Reimagine our heritage institutions for a new era’ was the theme, yet what I saw looked more like another government showcase than an actual reflection of our diverse traditions.
That’s where my concern begins. Heritage Day has drifted far from its roots. What was once tied to the memory of King Shaka and the country’s historic past has now been morphed into something more commercial, political, and watered down to fancy outfits and braai’ing of meat.
Is it not urgent that we reclaim the essence of September 24?
Shaka’s legacy overshadowed
While the country celebrates Heritage Day every year, the story of its origins often gets lost or, may I say, side-lined? Originally, September 24 was Shaka Day, a day to honour the legendary Zulu king who united clans and shaped the region’s history.
In KwaZulu-Natal, ceremonies were still held at Shaka’s gravesite in KwaDukuza this year, with King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, church leaders, and the Zulu Royal family in attendance. Amafa, the provincial heritage authority, emphasised in an interview with the SABC that this site is a national treasure, connecting Shaka’s legacy to a broader Southern African identity.
However, to my dismay, most media coverage focused on the grand Heritage Day celebrations in Oudtshoorn, a Western Cape town, complete with performances and political speeches. The very reason Shaka Day mattered, the living history of a people and their courage, was pushed aside.
Now, my question is, why must honouring Shaka feel like a footnote? Would it not have been more respectful to keep Shaka’s Day and introduce a separate day to celebrate our heritage?
Merging these two days has turned a meaningful part of our history into yet another celebration. Watching this, I couldn’t help but feel that our real heritage was being politely tucked aside while a government-friendly version took centre stage.
Heritage Day’s renaming in 1996,as explained by SA History Online, was intended to create an inclusive celebration for all South Africans. But in practice, what was once a vibrant, specific commemoration of Shaka’s life has become a generalised, almost ceremonial ‘Heritage Day’ that barely scratches the surface of the history it replaced. How can we call it a day for heritage when the stories of foundational figures get minimal coverage?
When a commercial celebration overshadows culture
While watching the celebrations on TV, it struck me how much emphasis is now placed on big, elaborate moments, rather than meaningful cultural reflection. From Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld stadium hosting the ‘World’s Biggest Braai’ to tree-planting campaigns led by Mashatile in Oudtshoorn and the deputy minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, the celebrations are undeniably ambitious and ambiguous.
In one event, over 2,500 people grilled meat simultaneously in a Guinness World Record
attempt, while in others, millions more were encouraged to join tree-planting activities. On paper, it’s a unifying spectacle. But in practice? It felt like Heritage Day had been turned into a performance for the camera.
The original aim, to honour our diverse traditions, seems secondary to media-friendly stunts and grand gestures. While events like tree-planting or mass braais have noble intentions, including environmental awareness and charity fundraising, as noted by Crush Mag Online, they can’t replace the substance of lived culture. Heritage is not big flashy events; however,it is what we pass down quietly, in languages, in rituals, through song, and in practices that connect us to our past, our heritage, our history.
The ‘Braai4Heritage’ campaign feels more like a marketing gimmick as opposed to cultural
preservation. During an interview with SABC News, head of marketing at Big Save Dylan Jardim, said the concept and inception behind the record breaking #Braai4Heritage campaign/ initiative was to raise funds for charity.While this is commendable, it further highlights how Heritage Day is now used by brands to promote content and products over actual, tangible cultural engagement.
The question remains, are we celebrating our culture, or just a version that looks good on TV?
Heritage at risk
If Heritage Day is meant to celebrate the essence of who we are, why does it feel like the very core of our culture, our languages, and traditions are being sidelined? Watching the celebrations this year, it was clear that while speeches and spectacles dominate the
spotlight, the protection and promotion of indigenous languages barely make the headlines.
Cultural preservationist Mbuso Khoza emphasised to SABC News viewers that indigenous languages are not just words; they are vessels of history, identity, and resistance. Losing them means losing the stories, music, and wisdom of past generations.
This issue becomes painfully obvious when we look at the N|uu language, a critically endangered Koi San language discovered in the late 1990s. Mashatile highlighted Dr. Ouma Katrina Esau, the last fluent speaker of N|uu, as a “towering figure” in preserving indigenous knowledge in Oudtshoorn. Her work reminds us that heritage is not simply what we display in a festival, it’s what we actively protect and pass on. Without these languages and the cultural practices tied to them, Heritage Day risks celebrating a hollow version of our identity.
Similarly, Dr. Nokuzola Mndende of the Icamagu Heritage Institute emphasised to the viewers the need to reintroduce cultural principles to younger generations. Heritage Day should be seen as an opportunity for teaching and reflection, but instead, it often focuses on flashy moments over the practicing of actual tradition. As it stands, we are at risk of letting centuries of heritage fade into nothingness, remembered only in shows and photos, rather than lived daily through language, music, and ritual.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, in his book Decolonising the Mind, warns that losing a language is losing a culture. And so, looking at that, I can confidently say that a heritage day that overlooks this is like reviewing a book without ever reading it.
Reclaiming Heritage Day
After watching these celebrations, I felt exhausted, not just from the speeches or competitive record-breaking braais, but rather from the pain of seeing a day we’re meant to honour being used for trivial activities that don’t add value to our culture or heritage.
Heritage Day cannot survive on smoke, speeches, and spectacle alone. It demands more, an active commitment to remembering our history, protecting our languages, and honouring traditions like those of King Shaka and ongoing engagement with custodians of indigenous knowledge.
Modern life and political performances should not overshadow the depth of our cultural roots. If we continue down this path, the next generation will inherit a day full of fireworks but empty of meaning. Heritage Day should challenge us to reflect and protect what truly makes us South African.
I believe it is up to all of us, citizens, educators, and leaders, to reclaim this day and give it the diverse, cultural richness it deserves. Otherwise, our heritage risks becoming nothing more than a backdrop for speeches and selfies.
