As Heritage Month draws to a close in South Africa, the question of who carries responsibility for preserving the country’s living heritage has moved to the centre of official discourse. Government has called on institutions and communities to work together to safeguard the nation’s diverse histories, languages and traditions, framing heritage protection not as a ceremonial exercise but as an ongoing mandate shared between the state, cultural bodies and the public.
The appeal came from Michael Currin, Deputy Director-General at the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), speaking in Pretoria on Wednesday at a dialogue titled “South Africa’s Heritage as a Key Milestone: Institutions and Society”. The GCIS hosted the dialogue in partnership with the University of South Africa (UNISA) as part of Heritage Month commemorations. Representatives from government, academia, heritage institutions, community media, civil society, youth and cultural formations gathered to examine the role of institutions and society in preserving public memory and advancing a shared national future.
Currin positioned the state’s role in historical terms, tracing the mandate back to the advent of democracy. “With the advent of democracy, South Africa set out to build a national identity rooted in dignity, equality and mutual respect. Heritage Day became part of this nation-building project, a public holiday that recognises different cultural identities while affirming that all should exist in harmony and unity as one South Africa,” he said. This year marks 31 years since Heritage Day was first celebrated in post-apartheid South Africa.
In his framing, the institutions that hold public memory carry a defined duty. “Universities, museums, heritage sites, archives and cultural bodies help society preserve knowledge, memory and living heritage for future generations,” Currin said. He argued that respectful partnerships between these institutions and communities could deepen trust, strengthen social cohesion and foster a shared sense of national belonging, and that the country’s shared heritage and cultural diversity could foster unity, belonging and mutual respect.
Accountability, however, does not rest with formal institutions alone. Community media, Currin noted, preserves heritage by documenting local histories, amplifying indigenous languages and cultural traditions, and giving communities a platform to pass their knowledge and stories to future generations.
That point was taken further by Shoeshoe Qhu, Chief Executive Officer of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), who raised concerns about gaps in media coverage of South Africa’s diverse cultures, particularly on technology-enabled platforms that could help communities share their stories and deepen their understanding of their origins. Her remarks amounted to a challenge to mainstream media houses to treat heritage coverage as a standing obligation rather than a seasonal one.
“I think we make an occasion of our heritage. Once the month comes to an end, we put the blankets and beads away until there is either a wedding or September next year,” Qhu said. She urged media and communication professionals to use technology deliberately so that knowledge acquired outside academic institutions is given the legitimacy and authority it deserves, rather than being undermined.
“There is a great deal of work to be done. Preserving this knowledge cannot be left solely to community media. A programme broadcast in an indigenous language can create an archive for listeners and give them the powerful affirmation of hearing themselves represented,” she said. She added that some South African languages have rich traditions yet little written presence and almost no representation in mainstream media, meaning people have to seek them out, and that the sector therefore carries a greater responsibility.
This year’s Heritage Month is commemorated under the theme “Celebrating Our Living Heritage: Strengthening the Ties That Bind Us”. Currin described South Africa as a nation of diverse cultures, languages, histories and traditions, each contributing to the richness of the national identity, with heritage preserved by the people and expressed in the languages spoken, the stories told, music and dance, food, and clothes and crafts. He noted that much of what the nation is becoming is being shaped by young South Africans as they build new identities, connections and ways of being and creating, a development he described as exciting and refreshing for the national identity.
Currin said Heritage Month provides a unifying platform for individuals and communities to reaffirm their commitment to social cohesion, cultural diversity and the enduring values of Ubuntu. “Living heritage is a dynamic and community-centred resource that not only reflects our past, but actively contributes to nation-building, intergenerational dialogue and inclusive development,” he said. By encouraging broad community participation, he added, Heritage Month empowers local voices, strengthens cultural expression and celebrates the traditions that define South Africa’s diverse identity.
Heritage Day, in the government’s formulation, affirms the right of all communities to celebrate, practise, preserve and share their diverse cultural heritage while contributing to a united and inclusive society. The message from both officials was that this affirmation depends on sustained institutional effort long after the month ends. Whether the media houses and cultural bodies challenged this September will treat that mandate as a year-round duty remains the open question.