Migrants celebrate their cultures

Heritage Month ended with a jubilant celebration of culture and unity through dance and discussion between locals and migrants.
AN array of ethnic dances and songs intended to celebrate the cultures of Africa were performed at the African Literature bookshop in Orange Grove.

Siji Olorunsoro from NigeriaSiji Olorunsola from Nigeria says African culture should be shared The event was organised by the City’s migration unit, on Friday, 30 September, to celebrate Heritage Month with migrants and local people.

Heritage Month is held each September across the country, with Heritage Day, a national public holiday, falling on 24 September.

Various nationalities were represented on the day, including Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. They came together to spread the message of unity and intercultural harmony.

The Region C regional co-ordinator, Tony Olaiya, said the aim of the event was to educate people about other countries and cultures in Africa. “This is an act of unity,” Olaiya said. “It’s about diversity, culminating in unity.”

He stressed that the day would enable everyone to understand each other’s cultures and cement relationships. “We need to talk about our traditions and learn what we can borrow from others.”

Siji Olorunsola, a Nigerian living in Joburg, said the event helped to share African cultures. “There are so many mysteries in Africa that we need to explore for us to understand where we are coming from.”

He also spoke about the cultures of Nigeria, a country shaped by multiple ethnic groups. “The country has over 50 languages and 250 dialects and ethnic groups.”

Children from the DRC Congolese traditional dancing The three largest groups were the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo and the Yoruba.

Martin Munyangai, a co-ordinator at Centre, Right Love and Law, urged the gathering to cherish their cultural heritage and to preserve their creative languages. “It is important to know the culture of each other so that we reach the point of loving each other,” he explained.

He also spoke about his home country, Democratic Republic of Congo. “Like many African countries, the borders were drawn up by colonial powers and bore little relation to the actual spread of ethno-linguistic groups,” he explained.

There were about 250 languages spoken in the country; the three most widely spoken were Kikongo, Lingala and Tshiluba. “Despite so many years of war and poverty, DRC people have a strong sense of culture and many influences.”

Celebrations ended with traditional dances from the Congolese and Rwandans participants.