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Nation building and social cohesion is busy failing in South Africa. This was the opinion of Dr. Corné Mulder, FF Plus spokesperson on arts and culture, during this department’s budget debate in parliament yesterday.
 
He referred to the task and role of the department of arts and culture to promote nation building and social cohesion and said that the minister has a very difficult task in this regard, but that he is not succeeding in this regard. He referred to an opinion poll which was undertaken by the Sunday newspaper Rapport on 28 April 2013. The question posed to readers was as follows:
 
How did you spend Freedom Day?
 
·        Did nothing in particular, just an ordinary Saturday 50% (2873 votes)

·        I attended the celebrations in my area 1% (43 votes)

·        I was at home, but thought about the country’s history 2% (99 votes)

·        As far as I am concerned this public holiday can be scrapped 47% (2741 votes)


From this, it is clear that a considerable segment of the South African population distance themselves from the ANC government’s attempts of nation building and social cohesion.
 
Communities simply feel excluded and marginalised in South Africa. This can be related back to radical and irresponsible comments such as the honourable Thandile Sunduza yesterday in parliament.
 
Sunduza, the chairperson of the portfolio committee on arts and culture, referred to white people in the opposition ranks and said that they should give half of their ‘inheritance’ to black people.
 
She also said a statue of former President Nelson Mandela has to replace that of Gen. Louis Botha in front of parliament and name changes of places such as Pretoria must be speeded up.
 
“The ANC’s recipe remains wrong. To expect minorities to become part of the black ANC majority on their conditions and terms will never succeed. Acknowledge the reality and existence of minorities in South Africa.

“Stop paying mere lip-service to South Africa’s diversity and we will all be surprised to see the positive attitude which will appear between communities and people,” Dr. Mulder said.