Day of Reconciliation is for nation-building says KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala was speaking at the 183rd commemoration of the Battle of Blood River, famously referred to as “Impi YaseNcome”. Picture: Supplied

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala was speaking at the 183rd commemoration of the Battle of Blood River, famously referred to as “Impi YaseNcome”. Picture: Supplied

Published Dec 16, 2021

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DURBAN - Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Zikalala, says the Day of Reconciliation is for working towards social cohesion and nation-building.

He was speaking at the 183rd commemoration of the Battle of Blood River, famously referred to as “Impi YaseNcome”.

“While the day has religious and political importance to the Afrikaner community, we now commemorate it together to promote national reconciliation, social cohesion, and nation-building.

“Reconciliation provides an opportunity for our nation to learn about all our heroes and heroines who have contributed to our freedom and democracy. On such a day, we remember not only brave Zulu warriors like Ndlela ka Sompisi and Dambuza Nzobo ka Sobandli, who defended our land,” said Zikalala.

Zikalala said the Constitution should be the cornerstone of the project of reconciliation, as it guides the nation in acknowledging the injustices of the past.

“The Constitution is the basis upon which we seek to create a new inclusive society free of racial, class, and gender discrimination of the past. Our highest law in the land envisages a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and united in our diversity.

“From a history of racial and gender discrimination, conflict, and violence, we have been building a South African which is united, non-racial, non-sexist, and equal. The founding provisions of our Constitution are: human dignity, the achievement of equality, the advancement of human rights and freedom, non-racialism as well as non-sexism,” said Zikalala.

He said keeping to the task of nation-building requires private corporations to invest in the the country, and a society that is protective of women.

“The South African private sector needs to do more to support economic transformation and in supporting government’s programmes to bring the black majority into the mainstream of the economy.

“We must also agree that we cannot achieve true and lasting reconciliation and progress for as long as the women of our country live in fear of gender-based violence and femicide.

“We call on our religious and traditional leaders to help our nation heal and to exorcise the despicable culture of violence in our dispensation of a constitutional democracy,” said Zikalala.

Daily News

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