Ramaphosa is in Upington today, alongside the Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul, and Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nocawe Mafu, to celebrate Heritage Day. During a language session at the opening, broadcast on the government’s social media profiles, learners read and shared pieces in their language, and asked Ramaphosa to do more to help develop languages like Nama.

Learners lauded the government for reintroducing Nama to schools in the province but encouraged them to provide more support by way of resources. Following the engagement with learners, Ramaphosa engaged with Katrina Esau, known as Ouma Geelmeid, recipient of the National Order Baobab in Silver for her work in heritage preservation in 2014. She shared some of her work and experiences with the President and Saul, seated next to him.

Ramaphosa will deliver his keynote address at the Mxolisi Jacobs Stadium from midday onwards. All this while South Africans are sharing the different ways, they too are celebrating heritage day around the country. This year’s theme is “Celebrating South Africa’s literacy classics in the year of indigenous languages”. The primary aim is to showcase and appreciate South Africa’s rich literary heritage which must be preserved and sustained for the generations to come. The year 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, as the United Nations General Assembly has declared.

OFM News