24
SEP

Migrants in South Africa are celebrating Heritage Day, but full integration is still far away

Heritage Day is the national holiday that acknowledges and values cultural differences in South Africa. The choice of date for the celebration is not coincidental: September 24th is recognized as the date of death of King Shaka Zulu, the unifier of the Zulu nation, in 1828. The decision to establish Heritage Day as a national holiday dates back to 1996, when the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) – a political party with a significant Zulu electoral base – requested the inclusion of an holiday dedicated to commemorating Shaka Zulu in the South African national calendar. The request was accepted by Parliament and the post-Apartheid Government led by the African National Congress (ANC), and since then, Heritage Day has become a national holiday[1]. According to historian Stephen Lowry, «Heritage Day is when South Africans celebrate the diverse cultural heritage that makes up the 'rainbow nation.' It is a day to honor the contributions of all South Africans to the building of the country.» The South African Government explains that «Heritage Day recognizes and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation. South Africans celebrate the day by remembering the cultural heritage of the many communities that make up the country's population.»[2] But how do migrants living in South Africa experience Heritage Day?

For some, both among South African citizens and within the migrant community, the celebration of diversity associated with Heritage Day is a key moment to affirm the uniqueness of their origins and migrant identity, to highlight the experiences refugees living in South Africa, and to emphasize the importance of coexistence among communities with different origins, backgrounds, and nationalities. In 2012, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) South Africa and Constitution Hill organized a poetry competition in Johannesburg on the theme of migration, which took place during Heritage Day in the presence of poet and activist Mayesha Jenkins. Students aged 16 to 18 from various schools in the city were invited to write and recite poems on migration, addressing issues such as crossing borders, xenophobia and racism, the conditions of migrant women and children, and South Africa's policies for welcoming and integrating migrants[3].

In 2022, the UNHCR organized a soccer tournament during Heritage Day in the township of Esikhawini, in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. This was not just another sporting event: the tournament was open to both the local South African community and the migrants and refugees living in the settlement. Approximately 200 people from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo participated in the competition. The tournament involved six teams composed of both male and female South African citizens and refugees from Esikhawini. «This is an opportunity to unite refugees and the local communities amongst whom we live», said one of the participants, Gcinile Mthembu. Gcinile, a 19-year-old whose parents are from Mozambique, has long dreamed of joining South Africa’s national soccer team, but this possibility was denied to him as he was unable to obtain South African citizenship. The scope of the event, as explained by UNHCR Senior Protection Assistant Mbali Mushathama, is to provide «an opportunity to use sports to promote social cohesion and inclusion.[4]»

Indeed, South African society still has significant progress to be made towards the inclusion of migrants. Following the 2022 UNHCR soccer tournament in Esikhawini, some local students shared stories of experiencing discrimination and bullying due to their migrant backgrounds. «I used to have friends who called me names and I had to cut the friendships off», one of them explained. Others admitted to hiding their true origins from friends and classmates for fear of being discriminated against, insulted, or even subjected to physical violence. This is mostly true for second-generation migrants, who are often fully integrated into the social context in which they live. For example, the UNHCR reported that Mozambican and Congolese children in Esikhawini spoke fluently both the local language, isiZulu, and English. Discrimination of this kind is still commonplace in South Africa: a 2019 study by the Pew Research Center found that 62% of South Africans hold negative views toward migrants, blaming them for unemployment, the decline in salaries, and problems in the education and healthcare systems. Another 61% believe that migrants commit more crimes than South African citizens[5]. These stereotypes persist despite academic research having long debunked them, reminding society to use Heritage Day as an opportunity to reflect on our attitudes toward migrants and their social inclusion.

The xenophobia that still exists in South Africa towards migrants and foreigners has even led some migrant communities to lose enthusiasm for Heritage Day and it celebrations, seeing them as out of place in a country where strong stereotypes against those from other nations still persist. In 2018, the remarks of Thifulufheli Sinthumule, a spokesperson for the Consortium for Refugees in South Africa, caused a stir when he asked the Times Live «How can Heritage Day be celebrated when there is deep hatred‚ intolerance and xenophobic attacks by South Africans against non-nationals - the already vulnerable groups of asylum seekers‚ refugees and migrants in the communities?». Sinthumule continued saying that «This day aims to unite the South African communities regardless of nationality through cultural diversity in order to promote a peaceful and cohesive society‚ free from prejudice‚ hatred‚ xenophobia and intolerance». He concluded by stating, «The African Consortium for Refugees in South Africa finds unacceptable for a democratic country to celebrate Heritage Day when people in the broader community were discriminated against and attacked based on their nationality»[6].

[1] Jethro, D. (2020). Heritage Formation and the Senses in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Aesthetics of Power. Routledge.

[2] Lowry, S. (1995). Know Your National Holidays: A Guide to South Africa's New National Holidays. Swaziland: Macmillan.

[3] Medecins Sans Frontieres – Doctors Without Borders (MSF) (2012). Schools poetry event to mark migrants & refugee experiences on Heritage Day. https://www.msf.org.za/news-and-resources/press-release/schools-poetry-event-mark-migrants-refugee-experiences-heritage

[4] Sibuyi, T. (2022). Refugee and South African children unite to celebrate Heritage Month. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Africa (UNHCR). https://www.unhcr.org/africa/news/news-releases/refugee-and-south-african-children-unite-celebrate-heritage-month

[5] Tamir, C. (2019). In South Africa, racial divisions and pessimism about democracy loom over elections. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/05/03/in-south-africa-racial-divisions-and-pessimism-over-democracy-loom-over-elections/

[6] Masweneng, K. (2018). Heritage Day not a celebration for foreign nationals in SA. Times Live (09/24/2018). https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-09-24-heritage-day-not-a-celebration-for-foreign-nationals-in-sa/

Migrants in South Africa are celebrating Heritage Day, but full integration is still far away

Post Categories

Posts by Tags

Migrants in South Africa are celebrating Heritage Day, but full integration is still far away

Follow us

Post Categories

Posts by Tags