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President Ramaphosa to open Sandile Present Community Library in Upington

24 September 2019, 10:00 AM |

SABC | @SABCNews

President Cyril Ramaphosa will use his address to the nation to urge South Africans to preserve and promote their languages as well as their national identity.

Image: SABC News.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will use his address to the nation to urge South Africans to preserve and promote their languages as well as their national identity.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to open the Sandile Present Community Library on Tuesday morning in Upington.

Watch:Guests waiting for President Ramaphosa to officially open the Sandile Present community library #SandilePresentLibrary pic.twitter.com/PL5I85hZur

— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) September 24, 2019

This as the country celebrates Heritage Day under the theme “Celebrating South Africa’s literacy classics in the year of indigenous languages”.

The theme for this year’s Heritage Day celebrations is:25 years of Democracy – Celebrating South Africa’s Literacy Classics in the year of Indigenous Languages #2019HeritageDay

— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) September 24, 2019

However, leaders in the Khoi and San communities where the celebrations for the day are being held say it is time for their languages like Nama and Khoi to be declared official languages.

Watch:Inside the newly built Sandile Present community library in Upington #HeritageDay pic.twitter.com/7GdIAtmmeq

— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) September 24, 2019

Khoi leader Stanley Peterson says, “He [President Ramaphosa] must now speed up this thing of at least putting one of our languages as one of the official languages. Because for as long as we are outside and not part of the language structures; we cannot celebrate any of the indigenous languages. You know this year marks World Indigenous Languages but where are the first indigenous people of this country? So how can we be proudly South African if we are not part of South Africa.”

Programme for the opening of Sandile Present community library and Heritage Day celebration in Upington #2019HeritageDay pic.twitter.com/WeAE3cezB3

— SA Gov News (@SAgovnews) September 24, 2019

Not all legacies from past generations become our Heritage.
We must be deliberate and conscientious in preserving only the progressive norms, cultures & values that build us as a people.
Patriarchal, Racist and other regressive practices can never be our heritage.#HeritageDay pic.twitter.com/NWoU7xeTOQ

— Ayanda Dlodlo (@MinAyandaDlodlo) September 24, 2019