Today we celebrate Africa
Today the continent celebrates Africa Day. The event commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, in 1963.
Africa Day acknowledges the progress Africans, have made, while reflecting on the common challenges we face in a global environment.
The African Union, comprised of 53 member states, has brought together the continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges it has faced, such as armed conflict, climate change, and poverty.
As South Africa is an integral part of the African continent, South Africa will this year celebrate Africa Day within a month-long celebration. The Africa Month programme aims to strengthen the socio, cultural, economic and political relations among African nations.
It was previously reported by The Tembisan, when xenophobia attacks rocked SA earlier this year, that the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa condemned the attacks on foreign nationals, describing xenophobia as a “stumbling block to nation building”.
He then announced a month-long cultural programme to use arts, culture and heritage to build unity in communities and forge closer relations among all people who live in this country.
The Month will be celebrated through variety of activities under the theme, We are Africa.
The programme aims to open doors of learning and culture from Cape to Cairo. The activities will also aim to support the AU 2015 theme, Women Empowerment and Development towards Agenda 2063.
