BY THANDISIZWE MGUDLWA I Sunday, Sept 26, 2026
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Parliament’s Presiding Officers—Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane—have called on South Africans to use Heritage Day to strengthen the values of Ubuntu, human dignity, and collective responsibility in building safer, more united communities.
Ubuntu is a Nguni concept that broadly translates to “humanity” in English.
This year, Heritage Day—observed on Thursday, September 24—was commemorated under the theme, “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us.” South Africa annually celebrates September as Heritage and Tourism Month.
According to Parliament, this year’s theme serves as a reminder that South Africa’s heritage extends beyond monuments, languages, traditions, indigenous knowledge, and cultural practices.
”It also lives in the values that shape how we treat one another and the society we build for future generations,” Parliament stated. “Central to these values is Ubuntu—the recognition of our shared humanity and our responsibility toward one another. Ubuntu reminds us that the dignity, safety, and well-being of every person are inseparable from the well-being of the community.”
Parliament emphasized that this principle carries vital importance as South Africa confronts gender-based violence, femicide, crime, and other social ills causing immense suffering across families and communities.
”Violence against women and children is fundamentally incompatible with the values of Ubuntu, human dignity, and mutual respect that should define our national heritage,” Parliament noted.
”Communities also have a role to play. When communities, government, law enforcement, and civil society work together, they create a coordinated, multi-layered approach that not only responds to crime but prevents it—thereby building stronger, more resilient neighborhoods. Law-abiding South Africans far outnumber criminals and criminal syndicates, and this war can be won where there is united action, collaboration, and cooperation.”
As South Africa marks 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution in 1996, Parliament highlighted that Heritage Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the constitutional values underpinning the nation’s democracy.
Over the democratic era, Parliament has contributed to preserving the nation’s cultural and natural heritage through key legislation, including the National Heritage Resources Act, the National Heritage Council Act, and the Cultural Institutions Act.
These laws provide the legislative framework needed to safeguard and promote South Africa’s diverse heritage. Parliament affirmed it will continue to strengthen oversight regarding heritage legislation, budget execution, site protection, and crime prevention impacting cultural landmarks.
In its closing message, Parliament emphasized that the nation’s enduring legacy extends beyond physical monuments and traditions:
”The heritage we leave behind will ultimately be measured by more than the monuments we preserve or the traditions we celebrate. It will also be measured by the kind of society we hand to the next generation. South Africa’s living heritage must therefore be one in which women and children can live without fear, communities stand together against crime and violence, diversity is respected, and every person’s inherent dignity is protected.
This Heritage Day, Parliament calls on all South Africans to strengthen the ties that bind us and to make Ubuntu not only a treasured part of our cultural heritage, but a principle that guides our everyday conduct and our shared responsibility for building a safer, more caring, and united South Africa.”