ABOUT: Day of Reconciliation

16 December might be seen as just another public holiday but the South African Government describes Day of Reconciliation as a day of great significance in South Africa because of two historical events that took place on that date.

In apartheid South Africa 16 December was known as Day of the Vow, as the Voortrekkers in preparation for the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838 against the Zulus took a Vow before God that they would build a church and that they and their descendants would observe the day as a day of thanksgiving should they be granted victory.

“The second historical event that took place on 16 December was in 1961, when Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC), was formed.

“Prior to its formation, the ANC had largely approached the fight against apartheid through passive resistance, but after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960, where peaceful protestors were indiscriminately shot by police, passive resistance was no longer seen as an effective approach in bringing apartheid to an end. MK mostly performed acts of sabotage, but its effectiveness was hampered by organizational problems and the arrest of its leaders in 1963.

“Despite this, its formation was commemorated every year since 1961. With the advent of democracy in South Africa 16 December retained its status as a public holiday.

“South Africa’s first non-racial and democratic government was tasked with promoting reconciliation and national unity. One way in which it aimed to do this symbolically was to acknowledge the significance of the 16 December in both the Afrikaner and liberation struggle traditions and to rename this day as the Day of Reconciliation. On 16 December 1995, the Day of Reconciliation was celebrated as a public holiday in South Africa for the first time.

“South Africa will mark Reconciliation Day 2015 on 16 December in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape under the theme: “Bridging the divide: Building a common South African nationhood towards a national developmental state”.

The month has a special significance for the nation as it promotes reconciliation, peace and social cohesion on which the country’s new democratic dispensation was founded.

“Cabinet encourages all South Africans to use the month to reach out to one another as the nation continues to work together to build a united and prosperous nation.”