Region G hosts Africa Day Celebration in Eldorado Park
On May 25, residents of Eldorado Park gathered at the Don Mateman Hall to celebrate Africa Day. The aim of the event was to bring locals together to speak about their different cultures and what they mean to them. Residents also took it as an opportunity to address their concerns about; unemployment, poverty, crime and
On May 25, residents of Eldorado Park gathered at the Don Mateman Hall to celebrate Africa Day.
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The aim of the event was to bring locals together to speak about their different cultures and what they mean to them.
Residents also took it as an opportunity to address their concerns about; unemployment, poverty, crime and lack of housing to the Region G Regional Director, Mickey Padiachee who hosted the event.
There were different speakers at the event; one of them was Muriel Huet, the director of the French Spelling Bee who is also part of A Better Africa Foundation.
She said, “For me, it was a shock to arrive here and see the differences between private and public schools but at the same time I was amazed by the energy of the people and the initiative in education. What attracted me to this country is that you have eleven official languages and as a language teacher, I am passionate about languages. I speak six languages myself. I speak French, German, English, Spanish, Russian, and I am learning isiXhosa.”
Pastor Gaynolina Mattera spoke about her brother Don Mattera, and the struggles that the Mattera family faced because her brother was speaking up against the apartheid government.
“During apartheid, Don Mattera took it upon himself as a member of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) to take on an illegitimate apartheid government,” said Mattera.
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She also expressed her disappointment about her brother not being recognised and the way he is being treated. “I have one wish and one wish only, that government should wake up where my brother is concerned,” she further said.
Chief White who serves on the Presidential Technical Task Team with Deputy President David Mabusa explained that when we look at the value systems within the communities, it shows that there is a democracy, people have freedom but there is no respect.
“Our people have lost their value systems, our value systems are damaged, and it is only us that can fix them,” said he said.
Padiachee shared that there are programmes that the City of Johannesburg wants to introduce in terms of skills development with the Department of Economic Development. He said he felt that it is important to acknowledge that we need to build on our values and accept each other’s different cultures and races.
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