Sanelisiwe Mabaso

Heritage Day celebrates the diverse cultural wealth of South Africa. Our nation has a rich cultural heritage, evident in our ecosystems, people, nature and wildlife. In honour of our wonderful country, enjoy these five little known facts about the day:

5. National Heritage Day is on the 267^th day of 2019. There are 98 days left in the year.

4. Historically, 24 September was celebrated as Shaka Day in honour of the Zulu monarch.

3. Heritage Day is one of the newly constituted public holidays. In 1995, The Public Holidays Bill did not include the 24^th of September on the list of public holidays, subsequently, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) protested the bill. Parliament reached an agreement and the day was created and given its name.

2. World Heritage Day is celebrated annually on the 18^th of April. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) declared World Heritage Day in 1982, to raise awareness to the conservation of the world’s monuments and sites.

1. South Africa has 8 World Heritage sites, namely:

– Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape in Limpopo

– Robben Island close to Cape Town

– The Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng

– IsiMangaliso Wetland Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal

– Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal

– The Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape in Northern Cape

– Vredefort Dome in Free State

 Picture: James Oatway/Reuters