By Lungisani Mkhulise
Heritage Month is not only about the colourful clothes and performances of different cultures but a period to consider the principles and people that defined the identity of South Africans. One of them is Anton Muziwakhe Lembede, the activist who founded the first African National Congress Youth League in 1944.
Lembede left a strong legacy of African pride and self-determination despite dying at the young age of 33. His idea was that Africans would only truly be liberated once they broke the chains of mental slavery and controlled their fate. His vision of “Africanism” inspired future leaders like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Oliver Tambo, and laid the foundations for the ANC’s Programme of Action in 1949.
To most South African’s, heritage month is a time of returning to values and sacrifices of the earlier generations.
“Heritage Month is a reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants like Anton Lembede. It challenges us to carry forward their dreams by believing in ourselves and in our collective power as Africans,” says Olwethu Mhlaba, a student at Durban University of Technology (DUT).
Simphiwe Mkhize, also a DUT student, sees heritage as a celebration of unity through diversity.
“Heritage Month allows us to embrace our different cultures while remembering that our shared struggles make us one. It’s not only about honouring where we come from, but also about shaping a future built on respect and pride.”
Lembede’s legacy reminds us that heritage is not only cultural, it is intellectual and political. He was an advocate of the idea that Africans had a great history, traditions, and could rule themselves without external interference.
Today, the name Anton Lembede is still remembered not only in history, but also on the streets, public spaces and one of the most impressive paintings of him is on a building in Durban’s Anton Lembede Street, a reminder that our past is alive and with us in the vibrant streets of our city.
