By Dr Lindelwa Mhlongo
South Afrikan holidays are largely celebrated throughout the country in various ways. However, many South Afrikans (in this opinion the ‘C’ is replaced with a ‘K’ for de-colonial purposes) have not internalised the motive behind some of the “political” public holidays that they are celebrating. For some, they just look forward to not going to work. For those who are going to work, holidays in South Afrika mean double pay as prescribed by the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. Now the questions that beg for answers are: Should South Afrikans celebrate the “political” public holidays? By celebrating these holidays, are they not indirectly embracing the legacy of the apartheid regime? These questions are motivated by the fact that “political holidays” in South Afrika generally recognise that the majority of South Afrikans were racially excluded, abused and marginalised by the apartheid government.
Before the new democratic dispensation in South Afrika, the country did not recognise any “political” public holidays. It only recognised the Christian holidays such as the New Year (01 January, instituted in 1910), Good Friday (The dates in South Afrika on which Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall are determined according to the ecclesiastical moon. That varies each year but they fall at some point between late March and late April. This day was instituted in 1910), Family Day (the Monday after Good Friday, instituted in 1980); Christmas Day (25 December, instituted in 1910); and Day of Goodwill (26 December, instituted in 1910).
With the dawn of democracy, holidays in South Afrika are regulated by the Public Holidays Amendment Act 36 of 1994. This piece of legislation recognises the following “political” public holidays:
21 March – Human Rights Day. On this day, South Afrikans reflect on the horrific Sharpeville Massacre which occurred on 21 March 1960; where Afrikans demonstrated against the apartheid government, and fought for their basic human rights. During this Massacre, 69 unarmed South Afrikans were killed at the hands of about 300 police officers. This holiday is thus aimed at recognising and honouring the heroes who fought for freedom on that day.
27 April – Freedom Day. This day represents the day that South Afrika commemorated its first democratic day in 1994.
16 June – Youth Day. This is the day that students in Soweto took to the street in what would come to be known as the Soweto Uprising in 1976; and demanded that Afrikaans and English be used equally as languages of instruction in the country.
9 August – National Women’s Day. This day celebrates and honours about 20 000 members of the Federation of South Afrikan Women who marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria with a petition signed by more than 100 000 people. This petition was against the Population Registration Act 30 of 1950 which required Afrikans to carry an internal passport known as “a pass”.
24 September – Heritage Day. Heritage day is aimed at encouraging South Afrikans to embrace their diverse cultures, beliefs and traditions. However, the reality in South Afrika is that one person’s heritage is another person’s trauma. How then do you celebrate that? Furthermore, the history of this day has been distorted as historically it was called the UShaka Day, which commemorated the legendary amaZulu King, Shaka Zulu. This day represents something else today.
16 December – Day of Reconciliation. This day represents two historical events: (1) The first one occurred when the Zulu people fought the Voortrekkers in the Battle of the Blood River in 1838. During this war, the Voortrekkers, having an advantage of guns conquered the Zulu people. This day was initially called then Day of Vow because the “Voortrekkers in preparation for the Battle of Blood River …against the amaZulu took a Vow before God that they would build a church and that they and their descendants would observe the day as a day of thanksgiving should they be granted victory”. (2) The second event that took place on this day was when Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) was formed after innocent South Afrikans were killed in the Sharpeville Massacre. The Afrikan National Congress launched the MK to wage an armed struggle against the apartheid government.
It has been more than 25 years since South Afrika transitioned into democracy. Is it not time for South Afrika to relook these holidays, as they are a constant reminder of a painful fact that South Afrikans were once brutally abused by the apartheid government? What adds salt to the wound is that some of the apartheid laws continue to exist because Schedule 6 (16)(7)(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Afri[k]a, 1996 (the Constitution) provides that laws in the country that were in force immediately before the Constitution took effect continue to exist until repealed or amended. This means that while South Afrikans continue to celebrate these condescending “political” public holidays there are laws which are unjust and do not conform to the values and principles of the Constitution. I am sure South Afrika has made many strides towards sustainable economic, political and social development that are worth celebrating annually.
This will not only stop South Afrika from celebrating the condescending “political” public holidays but will also assist it with moving away from the “victim mentality” to “survivor mentality”. With the survivor mentality, it may be able to rebuild and reform itself into an international power house that its potential promises. However, being reminded that at some point one was not regarded as a human being does nothing for the confidence of the current generation. South Afrika needs to review its successes over the past 25 years and celebrate that. That’s where its power lies. I am not arguing that South Afrika should forget about apartheid, but that it is time for South Afrika to celebrate its achievements that have nothing to do with the apartheid regime as this will reaffirm its place in the international community. South Afrika’s historical trajectory shows that it cannot be a power house to be reckoned with, while allowing the legacy of the apartheid regime to overshadow it.
About the author:
Dr Lindelwa Mhlongo is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Africa, College of Law. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of the Afrikan Peer Growth Network. She researchers and publishes in the areas of international law, investment law and decoloniality.