As South Africa celebrates heritage month  on Thursday (24 September).  it is  worth bringing into remembrance the long journey we come from not just as a country but as the entire African continent. 
 

The Covid-19 war has reminded us that when all is a said and done what matters the most, is but human life. The unity demonstrated by our country through this war has reminded us that together we can surely do more. There comes a time when situations force us to believe in a greater purpose that surpasses our very own being. I believe this is a quality Africans are not found wanting off. The historical struggle events which South Africa, in her beauty has faced has proven that unity is but a non-questionable quality which Africans possess, it is our culture and it is our heritage.

I took a journey through the eyes of history and I didn't have to look hard to find the trails of unity which purchased many of the fruits we are still enjoying to date. The journey Through the eyes of history reminded me of The Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), a splinter group of the African National Congress (ANC) created in 1959 which organized a countrywide demonstration in March 1960. The march was aimed at the abolition of South Africa’s pass laws. Participants were instructed to surrender their reference books (passes) and invite arrest. About 20,000 Blacks gathered near a police station at Sharpeville, located about 30 miles (50 km) south of Johannesburg.

I was also reminded of the time when many students while  joined the wave of anti-Apartheid sentiment within the student community. When the language of Afrikaans alongside English was made compulsory as a medium of instruction in schools in 1974, black students began mobilizing themselves to fight against the oppressive system in the streets of Soweto in 1976.

Such events are a reminder of what we are capable of when we are united. We are part of a heritage which cannot be duplicated , It is us and we are it. This also dates back to two hundred years ago  when 5,000 people from Britain were settled in the south eastern part of South Africa  not only aiming to just strip us off our land, but at the heart of the colonial rule was to divide then conquer us. Because if we are divided than we cannot stand . Every system that was birthed from the root of colonialism has in its  pursuit sought to break our spirits by trial and testing our unity. 


This is a war which has not run its course if we were to  delve deep into the current issues that still exist such has power struggles, classism, colorism, xenophobia and capitalism. Chasing the high of being above our brothers or the demon  of classism is but  a colonial heritage. If we are  to ever  find victory in such a war that seeks to destroy our Africaness we will need to remember our past victories and arm ourselves with arms of knowledge as we position our selves for victor .

 As former President Thabo Mbeki once said

The historical events we work so tirelessly not learn from but to forget, reinforce  a greater weakness  than the one the oppressor sought to inflict. Think about it, if we were to take time now and again to reflect on the historical events we can regain strength to rebuild. South Africa has  in versatility has so many culture which one thing in common, BEAUTY.  We are beautifully united in diversity. This unity has in the past fortuned us with so  many great victories. 

This is something we must never take for granted. Azania together with her economy and this beautiful nation is ours to defend but what more can we do when we are divided? Because it is  in our division where we perish. May this heritage day remind who we are  and may it also remind where we come from.