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City Press reports that efforts to recognise Ancestor’s Day as an official public holiday in SA are gaining momentum, as leaders from various cultural organisations and academics brush aside criticisms suggesting that the country does not need another public holiday.
Representatives from the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA (Contralesa), the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders (NHTKL) and officials from the Cultural, Religious, and Linguistic (CRL) Rights Commission and the National Heritage Council (NHC) gathered in Johannesburg for a lekgotla on Friday. Their goal was to formulate ideas for a memorandum of understanding on how Ancestor’s Day could be officially recognised by government under the Public Holidays Act. Since 2021, traditional leaders, cultural activists and Afrocentric academics have been observing the day on 8 May, which serves as a platform to reflect on African spirituality and honour ancestors, whom they consider integral to humanity’s origins. Castle Milk Stout has been sponsoring this initiative, building on its 2018 campaign to include indigenous clan names on their beer cans in a bid to encourage South Africans to reconnect with their heritage. Zolani Mkiva, Contralesa secretary-general, said there has been growing support and enthusiasm among South Africans for the recognition of Ancestor’s Day since they started commemorating the day four years ago. The fourth commemoration of Ancestor's Day will be held on Wednesday in Muldersdrift, northwest of Johannesburg.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thapelo Lekabe at City Press (subscriber access only)
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