WE ARE ONE
Clans, culture, life experiences and accepting one another’s differences . . . these issues are what our heritage is all about, say Bay residents and visitors
Rich tapestry of who we are and where we come from celebrated
ONE city, a sea of very different faces. But no matter the complexity of cultures and roots which are intertwined in Nelson Mandela Bay, the city’s inhabitants are celebrating Heritage Day today as a people living together as one. But they are also celebrating the rich, diverse tapestry of who they are and where they come from.
Whether their family roots are Asian or European, African or American, Xhosa, Zulu or San, the melting pot of cultures and nationalities that make up the Bay is representative of almost the entire planet.
This is reflected in their views on what heritage means to them and who they are.
NMMU accounting student Sinazo Gcaza, 20, said she loved engaging with those around her.
“I associate heritage with the hardships that I have overcome,” she said.
She was bullied in primary school, she said, but at university “all of that changed as I became involved with sport and other activities”.
Kenyan-born businesswoman Milka Mbuthia, 41, who lives in Uitenhage, prides herself on the African pieces she makes and sells at her stall at the Boardwalk craft workshop.
“I am an African woman of the Kikuyu tribe – a mother, a daughter and a wife,” she said.
“I grew up in Kenya as the only daughter among boys. My mother taught me . . . about being a woman and a mother, and I will in turn teach that to my daughter,” Mbuthia, who moved to South Africa in 2008, said.
Restaurant operations manager Iggy Stewart, 38, of Central, described himself as someone with a passion for food and people. He said his personality defined who he was. “I am vibrant, young at heart, and I spend my days in an environment where I am exposed to different cultures,” he said.
“We have to accept each other for who we are. To me, heritage means to live and let be.”
For some, heritage is about clan names, ancestors and faith.
“I am Magaba, the daughter of Maqhinebe, who is the daughter of Majola, whose mother is Mngxongo, a Xhosa young lady from Keiskammahoek,” Athenkosi Mfayana, 21, of New Brighton, said proudly.
Dressed in traditional attire, Mfayana said: “I am proud of being Xhosa but that does not mean I cannot embrace other South African cultures as well.”
Bangladesh-born Salim Mohammed, 45, who owns a shop in Lorraine and lives in Forest Hill, said he would be celebrating Eid today.
“I am Muslim and I will spend the day praying, as that is my heritage.”
DRESSED in chic afrocentric attire, inspirational young people piled into the Athenaeum last night for a “Fruits of Democracy” event which provided an evening of dialogue, debate, poetry and entertainment. InkuluFreeHeid, Aiesec, Canrad and the Athenaeum hosted last night’s inaugural event, aimed at reconciling the past with the present and encouraging the youth to do great things, while dissecting what heritage means to them.
It also celebrated the achievement and contribution of the Bay’s youth by recognising young pioneers in five categories.
They were Mthetho Jack (business), Mtsikelelo Ntungela (education), Banele Njadayi (arts and culture), Nozibele Qamngana (public service) and Zolani Matiwana (sports).
Inkulu-Free-Heid chairman Olwam Mnqwazi said the idea behind the event was to create a space for youth to critically engage the topic of heritage within a democratic context.
“Nelson Mandela Bay is a city that has produced icons whose stories remain unknown . . . and it continues to produce young people who do amazing work in the city,” he said.
“Thus we saw it fitting to provide a space for such stories to be told and for today’s history-makers to be recognised.”
Among the vibrant young people who shared their views on the topic of heritage was Central resident Sihle Phikasha, 19.
“Our heritage defines where we have been and what we have achieved, and at the same time forms the basis of where we are going and how we will get there. “We look around us and enjoy the freedoms which were fought for by the then youth,” Phikasha said.
“We need to ensure that in 20 years’ time, [others] can . . . learn from the heritage we have left behind.”
Ziyanda Matomela, 22, agreed. “Heritage is not only our past. What we make of our present will determine the heritage of the future.”
Guest speaker Luvuyo Bangazi, of the Mandela Bay Development Agency, said he supported young people who kept abreast of issues affecting the Bay as they would one day be tasked with moving the city forward.
Last night’s winners received medals handed over by City of Champions president Mazizi Msutu and will spend today visiting Bay heritage sites Route 67 and the Emlotheni and Mendi memorials, before a celebratory “Tshisa Nyama” at Blawa Butchery in New Brighton.