The Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Ms Nocawe Mafu, called on the community in Matangari village to preserve and promote Heritage Day, so that future generations will not forget their culture and traditions.
"The colourful traditional attire that I see today, and the vibrant indigenous music drums playing here are testament to the fact that, as Africans, we are people who are steeped in the culture and heritage that we have inherited from our ancestors," Mafu said during the annual Heritage Day celebration and 100-year commemoration of Matangari Primary School on Saturday, 25 September, at Matangari Primary's sports grounds.
She said that one of the strategic objectives of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture was to protect, preserve, promote and develop sports, arts, culture and heritage, and advance the socio-economic inclusivity and contribution of the sector. "The recognition of South Africa's indigenous knowledge is one of protecting, promoting and preserving our heritage."
Mafu was joined by the executive mayor of Vhembe District Municipality, Cllr Dowelani Nenguda, Matangari village's traditional leader, Vhamusanda Mutulagole Nyamande, and the chairperson of the Green Development Foundation, Mulalo Thabela.
"Our indigenous knowledge, which is our intangible cultural heritage, allows for identity and a sense of belonging for people, as well as an accumulation of intellectual capital for current and future generations in the context of mutual need to transfer skills from generation to generation in order for the young to learn from their elders. We also need to mainstream our indigenous knowledge system into our education curriculum, so that all our youths will be able to drink from the fountain of elders, even if they don't have grandparents to teach them our indigenous ways of doing things," she added.
Vhamusanda Nyamande said they were happy to be celebrating Heritage Day and Matangari Primary's 100 years of existence. "Our school has produced many alumni who comprise teachers, doctors and lawyers, among others. We want former learners of the school to come back and help to develop the school and make it a centre of excellence in maths and science," said Nyamande.
One of the long-serving educators at the school, Lufuno Mauda, who was also awarded a certificate of recognition, was greatly honoured to be recognized for going the extra mile in helping to develop the school for the better. Mauda, who has 32 years of service as language teacher, said that the school aimed to teach learners good morals and encourage them to take education seriously.