“It is not our diversity which divides us; it is not our ethnicity or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have achieved our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not." – Nelson Mandela
September is the start of spring and apart from it being Tourism Month, it is also Heritage Month in South Africa. The first Heritage Day was celebrated on the 24th of September 1995, honouring the day presumed to be the death of King Shaka Zulu in 1828. King Shaka was a legendary king who created the Zulu empire by gathering numerous Nguni tribes and clans into one Zulu nation. He is also remembered as a fearsome warrior who fought against colonisers as well as neighbouring tribes. On the day, people still gather at his grave to celebrate him in KwaZulu-Natal.
In my experience as a Coloured person, Heritage Month is complicated, mostly because of our mixed genealogy. We must navigate this difficult and ambiguous space of trying to find our place in South Africa. On the 24th of September, South Africans are encouraged to wear their traditional attire and celebrate their culture. In Coloured households, this expression of culture creates anxiety because Coloured people are on the periphery of society and often don’t really know where to belong and how to express that belonging.
In the past few years, Coloured children have showcased what they think Coloured culture is by embracing the stereotypes that are attributed to Coloured culture. On social media, Coloured children at schools have shown up on Heritage Day with gowns and bonnets. These are stereotypes that are attributed to Coloured people, which is a generalisation that has more to do with individuals than an entire race.
What is true is that Coloured people have combined and taken an array of traditional practices, myths, food, and dress from an array of cultures depending on the province they live in. In the Western Cape, the Coloured people have a tradition involving the Cape Coons, which appear on the second day of the year to celebrate the beginning of the new year, koesisters which is a sweet treat that is like a koeksister but spicey and is covered in coconut. In the Northern Cape, there is “roosterbrood “which is made along with a braai and is bread cooked on an open fire.
Heritage Day is a celebration of all the cultures in South Africa and Coloured people have created a culture through lived experiences, community and family and for that, we can be proud.