As South Africa celebrates Heritage Day, Acting President Paul Mashatile emphasised the need to recognise the growing impact of climate change on the nation’s well-being and cultural heritage.

Delivering the keynote address during Heritage Day celebrations in Ficksburg, Free State, Mashatile urged citizens to be mindful of how climate change threatens both livelihoods and cultural traditions.

The Acting President expressed his honour in addressing the nation on Heritage Day but noted that celebrations were overshadowed by severe weather affecting parts of KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Free State.

‘It is a great honour and privilege to address you at this significant occasion as we celebrate our country’s Heritage Day. Unfortunately, as we were looking forward to this day, some parts of our country, which include Kwa-Zulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Free State, were impacted by severe weather conditions, exacerbated by climate change.

‘In celebrating our heritage, we must be alive to the impact of
climate change on not only our wellbeing, but also on our culture. Extreme weather conditions such as those witnessed over the past few days affect some of our cultural and heritage sites, therefore undermining our national goals to protect and preserve our culture for generations to come,’ he said.

Mashatile expressed empathy for those affected by the recent extreme weather events in parts of South Africa.

‘We empathise with those who were affected by the widespread extreme weather. We would also like to commend Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Government Departments for their prompt and robust multi-sectoral response. Additionally, we commend the provinces that were impacted for their prompt activation of their disaster response structures,’ the Acting President said.

He said the response teams led by NATJOINTS remain on standby to respond to any eventualities and continue to assist affected communities.

‘Even while these teams are committed to helping and saving those in
need, we nonetheless ask that our people exercise caution and pay close attention to any warnings issued by the South African Weather Service.

‘These meteorological conditions emphasise even more how important it is to increase our investments in technology that may improve weather predictions.

‘We can save lives by providing early warnings of storms, heat waves, and disasters. Our sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones,’ he said.

The Acting President urged the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture to explore policy considerations concerning the impact of climate change on the nation’s historical heritage, but also provide direction on how best the country can preserve the national identity in this era of multiple global challenges.

Source: South African Government News Agency