Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Millions of South Africans on Tuesday commemorated the Day of Reconciliation by reflecting on two of the most important historical events that shaped the country.
In apartheid South Africa, December 16 marked the 1838 anniversary of the Battle of Blood River when the Voortrekkers took a vow before God that they would build a church should they be granted victory over the Zulus.
The battle resulted in the conquest of the Zulu people and the subsequent subjugation of indigenous groups throughout the continent.
And on December 16, 1961, the African National Congress formed Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC) which fought to topple Apartheid.
To acknowledge the significance of December 16 to both the Afrikaner and liberation struggle traditions, the day was renamed Day of Reconciliation.
This year’s national event took place at the Ncome Museum in KwaZulu-Natal where President Jacob Zuma delivered the keynote address.
He said December 16 became the Day of the Vow for Afrikaners while for Zulus it became known as Dingane’s Day, symbolising resistance against colonial aggression.
Zuma noted that in April 1994, the journey to rebuild a new nation began. “Under the leadership of President Nelson Mandela, government launched a new meaning of December 16, changing the day to the National Day of Reconciliation.
“Reconciliation does not mean forgetting or trying to bury the painful history of conflict. It means that while we remember the pain of the past, we will not allow it to stop us from building a better tomorrow.
“Generations to come will testify that people who lived through this period of transition from apartheid colonialism to a new non-racial, democratic society, were a truly wonderful and remarkable generation to have been able to overcome fear, hatred and pain to build a new non-racial future,” Zuma said.
He told South Africans that his government is building a culture that protects and promotes human rights, respect and dignity of all citizens.
“All our goals of building a non-racial, non-sexist, successful and prosperous society are achievable if we are united and continue to put South Africa first in everything we do,” Zuma added.
