Colourful, eventful provincial Heritage Day celebration

During the provincial Heritage Day celebration at D’Nyala Nature Reserve outside Lephalale on Tuesday, acting Premier and MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Dickson Masemola expressed the opinion that citizens can only fully celebrate a common heritage when all enjoy an equal share in the inheritance of the land.
In his speech made available to Polokwane Observer, Masemola emphasised that the struggle for the return of land to the disposed black majority was a befitting tribute to the legacy of the forefathers who fought and died in defence of the land. Kings and chiefs fought hard for the land as they knew that land is the biggest and the most important heritage for everyone, he stated.
“It is therefore correct to say that the most important and common heritage of the people of South Africa is the land. Those who took away the land from the African majority did not only strip Africans of their identity, they also stole our heritage. The land is our heritage, the land is our inheritance. It is for this reason that the struggle for the return of the equitable redistribution of the land is a call that must be supported by all South Africans,” Masemola reckoned.
Addressing the issues of crime, reported xenophobic attacks and gender-based violence, he said people cannot sing, dance and celebrate when women and children fear to walk the streets of their communities because of abusers and rapists who roam the streets like wild animals on the loose. He further said they cannot celebrate when foreign nationals who are in South Africa are targeted for criminal activities and treated as if they are not human beings. “The abuse of women and children in this country had reached unacceptable levels,” Masemola added. He also highlighted that it cannot be claimed that the country has a functioning democracy when the majority of the population is denied the basic right such as the right to freedom of movement and the right to bodily integrity.
“As Limpopo we have mastered the art of living side-by-side with those who have visited our country. However, those who come to our country to pursue criminal activities must be met with the full might of the law. We want to say it without any equivocation that Limpopo will never be a home for criminal syndicates who push drugs, force women into prostitution and engage in human trafficking. We will also not tolerate any behaviour from anyone that undermines the growth of our economy. We will flush-out fake and counterfeit goods from our streets,” Masemola said.
He went on to state that they continue to wage a relentless war against drugs and drug dealers. It does not matter what a person’s nationality is, those who do crime will never be comfortable in Limpopo, he stressed and concluded by saying that he was aware that there are those who cry xenophobia as a tactic to mask their criminal activities – they will not succeed in Limpopo, he cautioned.

Storie: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za