By Emily Setona
FICKSBURG – The executive mayor of Setsoto local municipality Seipati Mbiwe said hosting national Heritage Day will change the perception of Ficksburg, which is known as a town where Andries Tatane was shot dead while protesting against poor service delivery.
“I am proud to see us hosting a national event, especially considering that we get the opportunity to showcase our culture and heritage as a people. As Basotho, we pride ourselves with our music, our attire and our blankets. Setsoto municipality is also the community where, when South Africans think of Ficksburg they remember the story of Andries Tatane, who was also a close acquaintance of mine,” Mbiwe said.
In his keynote address to the nation gathered at the stadium Deputy President Paul Mashatile said that despite reports that he had ill health Ficksburg is where he would be, he told those who were sceptical about him spending his Heritage Day in Ficksburg.
“The minister of sports arts culture and recreation Gayton Mckenzie asked me whether I will make it to Ficksburg for the Heritage Day celebration because he had heard that I was not well and I said to him, Ficksburg is where I am going. Mr Mckenzie, I am well, God is good. I used to be a minister in the same portfolio, so Mr Mckenzie learns from me.
“It is a great honour and privilege to address this gathering because it is a great occasion of our Heritage Day. On this day we should also celebrate our cultural diversity our inherited sense of family identity, our traditions, cultures, particularly since the dawn of this democracy. It makes me very happy to see all of us gathered to celebrate our heritage because our diversity is also a source of our unity. It is what unites us as the nation of South Africa.”
Residents of Free State embracing their culture during heritage celebration in Ficksburg.
For her part the Premier of the Free State Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae said: “We are gathered here to reaffirm our shared vision for a brighter future. We pride ourselves with our heritage and culture as you can see that we are all well-dressed to represent our culture. We are here gathered as Basotho and other nations and today we are all gathered to show that we all live together in the Free State.”
Mckenzie and the Free State MEC of the DSACR Ntombizanele Sifuba and other government officials were among those at this heritage celebration that was filled with many festivities and performances from local artists.
