10/10 for student's heritage entry
30 November 2004
The International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC) recently ran a Heritage Month competition on SA's official national web portal - www.southafrica.info - asking South Africans at home and abroad to suggest new ways to celebrate the country's heritage.
19-year-old student Tuelo Gabonewe walked away with the first prize, a commemorative silver coin celebrating SA's 10 years of democracy, courtesy of the IMC and the South African Gold Coin Exchange.
Gabonewe's entry beat others from as far afield as the UK, US, Germany and Tanzania. Gabonewe is currently studying for a BA in development and management at the North West University, Vaal Triangle Campus.
"We are encouraged that young South Africans are actively playing their role in building national pride", said IMC CEO Yvonne Johnston. "We have already seen a growing number of South African companies
using the concept of national pride in their advertising messages to demonstrate that South Africans are proud of who we are, what we have and how we do things.
"More and more South Africans are buying into this concept, and realising that promoting South Africa is everybody's business. Tuelo's winning entry encapsulates that spirit, and is a source of encouragement for the IMC and everybody else involved in marketing the country."
The IMC, a public-private partnership aimed at promoting SA locally and abroad, is responsible for the content on SouthAfrica.info, and seeks to engage online visitors on a global scale to take part in activities that celebrate national pride.
The portal has an extensive reach, recently achieving the milestone of one million page impressions a month.
10 ways to celebrate our heritage: Tuelo Gabonewe
The following are ways by which we as South Africans can celebrate our rich
heritage:
1. Patriotism
Being patriotic is for me a dignified, distinctive form of heritage in itself. Being patriotic is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as being vigorously supportive of one's country and being prepared to defend it. Being South Africans as we are, patriotism basically means being proudly South African and having an innate sense of belonging. We should cherish patriotism and ensure that it is passed from one generation to another.
2. Respect and love for the national anthem
This is by far the greatest token of appreciation that can be shown by one for his/her country. The national anthem is without question the best form of heritage that can be enjoyed by children of every country. The South African national anthem is undoubtedly the most diverse anthem in the world, and this makes it a symbol of unity. We should all - as patriotic South Africans - revere the national anthem and sing it with nothing but sheer
admiration.
3. Love for one another and for fellow Africans
Having love for one another means being guardians of one another's weal. It means being concerned about and helping one another overcome adversities and obstacles that are often sown by life in the path of human survival. On the other hand, it goes without saying that xenophobia is the ugliest attribute that can be possessed by a nation and the lowest form of dignity. As South Africans we need to annihilate the borders of xenophobia and start accepting fellow Africans as our "next of kin". This must also be passed from one generation to another.
4. Transform Afro-pessimism into Afro-optimism
Afro-pessimism is defined by the South African Concise Oxford Dictionary as a belief that everything is bad in Africa and there is little hope for successful economic development. As South Africans, we all are - I believe - proud children of Mother Africa. It is therefore the duty of each one of us to
give sterling, orchestrated efforts in an attempt to turn Afro-pessimism into nothing but a laughable misconception. This we can achieve by supporting our own businesses and striving for economic development in our land.
5. Love for sports
There is a common cliche that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. As a people, South Africans have a need to every now and then forget about work and depression and loneliness and problems and just indulge in something that can help take their minds off things. Sports is by far the safest form of all indulgences. Having sports as part of our heritage is one of the most important steps in an endeavour to create healthy people and a safe environment. Sports can help us arrive at our utopia, the Gun Free Society.
6. Forget about the suffering of the past
South Africa is one of the African countries with a bitter history. Yes it is difficult for most of us to erase from our minds the ugly memories of the
past, but it would be wise to stick to the "new leaf" that we turned over in 1994 and shun being perpetuators of memories of our ugly past. We should create a tranquil environment for generations to come.
7. Protect our different cultures and languages
If we do not strive for the protection of our cultures and languages they could very well be referred to in the not-so-distant future as extinct, and this could have a negative impact and an adverse effect on our heritage.
8. Love for our national flag
Our flag is a true example and reflection of our motto "The Rainbow Nation" and symbolises nothing but unity. We all have an obligation to understand fully the meaning and purpose of the national flag and flaunt it with absolute veneration and utter admiration.
9. Protection of all tourist attractions and the ecosystem
Tourist attractions are all those things which attract foreigners as well as children of the soil to certain parts of
our beautiful country. They give us a sense of dignity and play a role of notable importance as far as economic development is concerned. They therefore deserve protection and love from all South Africans. The ecosystem basically refers to the environment, the flora and fauna, and also deserve some protection and respect.
10. Protection of governmental buildings and monuments of legendary figures
This statement is self-explanatory. Governmental buildings worthy of protection include parliaments, courts, municipalities, etc. They should all remain part of our heritage as we march into the future. We should also continue treating our heroes with respect even when they are no more, for they also helped create a heritage of which we are a part. Protection of their respectable monuments would be one dignified way of adding embellishment and dignity to our distinctive heritage.
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