A celebration of spring and south african heritage The month of September has become
is to hold small events with friends and
Natal
known as Heritage Month, which
family, and not to have a mass braai.
β’ Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical
recognises aspects of South African
The idea was to find a day where all
Landscape in the Northern Cape
culture that are both tangible and
South Africans can have something in
β’ Khomani Cultural Landscape in the
intangible: creative expression such as
common. The country has a fractured
Northern Cape
music and performances, South Africaβs
political past and, in many aspects, this
β’ Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains in
historical inheritance, language and the
still applies. Braai Day is a celebration of
Mpumalanga
local food.
being South African, where differences are put aside.
24 September is an annual public holiday, known as Heritage Day since
See www.braai.com for more
1995. Before that, 24 September was
information.
observed in KwaZulu-Natal as βShakaβs Day,β in commemoration of the Zulu
Various heritage sites and facilities in
king.
South Africa are named after liberation
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
struggle icons and historical leaders, e.g.:
Mapungubwe is known as the βplace of wisdomβ. The site lies on the open
β’ The Sol Plaatjie Municipality in the
savannah of the Mapungubwe National
Northern Cape
Park. It touches the northern border of
β’ The Nelson Mandela Museum in the
South Africa, close to both Zimbabwe
Eastern Cape
and Botswana.
In 2005, Jan Scannell (who became
β’ Luthuli House in Gauteng
known as βJan Braaiβ) started a
β’ King Shaka International Airport in
This is a site that was populated by a
media campaign proposing that
KwaZulu-Natal
civilized kingdom over 900 years ago.
Heritage Day be renamed as National
β’ Steve Biko Memorial in the Eastern
Settlements, artefacts and graves of
Braai Day, in commemoration of
Cape.
these communities can be seen at the site. It also has a national park
the culinary tradition of informal backyard barbecues, known as braais.
South Africa is also home to 10 World
where various bird and animal species,
On 5 September 2007, Archbishop
Heritage Sites which are recognised
including four of the Big 5, roam freely.
Emeritus Desmond Tutu celebrated his
by the United Nations Educational
appointment as patron of South Africaβs
and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO)
Braai Day affirming it to be a unifying
as places of outstanding cultural and
force in a divided country (by donning
historical importance:
an apron and enthusiastically eating a boerewors sausage). He noted that
β’ Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape in
it is common for people from various
Limpopo
cultures in South Africa to gather
β’ Robben Island in the Western Cape
together around a fire to celebrate.
β’ The Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng
In 2008, the initiative received the
and North West Province
Formerly used as a leper colony and
endorsement of South Africaβs National
β’ The Cape Floral Region in the Western
animal quarantine station, the island
Heritage Council. However, the official
and Eastern Cape
was more recently used as a prison for
name of the public holiday remains
β’ Vredefort Dome in the Free State
political prisoners. Political activist and
Heritage Day.
β’ UKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park in
lawyer Nelson Mandela was famously
KwaZulu-Natal
imprisoned on the island for 18 of the
β’ Isimangaliso Wetland Park in KwaZulu-
27 years he served before the fall of
Scannell said that the aim of Braai day
16
l Hello Cape Town September 2021
Robben Island
