READER LETTER | Heritage represents the raw reality of the core of our history

Heritage transcends mere words; it embodies unique customs, communication, and conduct. It is the inheritance from past generations, whether beneficial or detrimental, that present and future generations will express.

Heritage represents the raw reality of our beginnings, regardless of whether they are sombre or splendid. It is not just a collection of selective stories or the omission of regrettable events; it is the core of our history.

A contrived history strays from reality, but often, it is this illusion that humanity prefers. As Africans and particularly South Africans, we often make the mistake of trying to gloss over our flaws while overlooking the sacred guidance that has forged our identity.

A unique aspect of SA's democratic heritage is its tendency to downplay the role of Christian influences in the emancipation of black individuals, choosing rather to embrace the notion that our liberation was self-attained or due to our ancestors and kings.

Contrary to popular belief, neither ancestors nor kings were able to prevent colonialism or embody the core of the resistance. The most effective resistance movement in Southern Africa against European colonialism, and Africa's oldest, the ANC, was established by black individuals deeply influenced by Christian theology.

Yet, to forge a misleading narrative of "African might" within a biased and racist modern history, some South Africans have misidentified Christianity as the issue, rather than the failure of African systems to unite the people.

In the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013), both the titular character (portrayed by Idris Elba) and his wife Winnie (played by Naomi Harris) express sentiments of "Will God help our people" and " We must save ourselves", reflecting narratives that are continuously presented to South Africans.

However, such perspectives hardly address the persistent issues of black marginalisation, landlessness, unemployment, and the enduring legacies of townships, homelands, crime, and violence, which stem largely from historical injustices.

Beyond this, the erasure of God and His relevance, another profound legacy in SA is the internalised self-contempt among black people. The primary reason generations of Africans post-independence remain in dire straits is that a race unable to love itself cannot unite for its upliftment. The more we believe we can achieve this independently from God, as the constitution suggests, the further we stray from our 1994 aspirations, coming to resemble the worst of apartheid, if not pre-colonial times. – Khotso K.D Moleko