President Jacob Zuma will lead Heritage Day celebrations on Sunday, September 24, at the main national event in Siyabuswa in Mpumalanga.

This year’s Heritage Day celebrations will be held under the theme “The Year of OR Tambo: Celebrating Our Liberation Heritage”, and the day is set aside to celebrate South Africa’s cultural diversity and history.

In a statement from the Presidency on Friday, Zuma said: “Celebrating our Liberation Heritage contributes to the revival of the political and social-cultural consciousness across the country on the liberation struggle narrative. We hope that it will also invoke nationwide discussions on issues relating to decolonisation and identity, democracy and radical socio-economic transformation.”

The statement added that Heritage Day further encompasses the country’s ecosystems, wildlife, and unique mountains. “This is the core of the country’s natural heritage which, when combined with the cultural heritage, makes South Africa a world in one country.”

The Presidency added that the day also aims to recognise the role of cultural and heritage institutions, while the South African Constitution also guarantees the right to cultural, religious and linguistic associations and other organs of civil society.

The Presidency urged all South Africans to take pride in the country’s cultural institutions and play an active role in affirming, promoting and preserving them.