Africa Day is for you
Africa Day – Giving a Voice to African Unity
As a country, South Africa is probably best known for overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, and forging reconciliatory links where conflict and strife seemed the only outlet for expression.
The events of the past few weeks have reinforced the need for bridge-building initiatives such as the Africa Day celebrations, and organisers have resolved that this year’s events will take place as planned.
The weekend of 23, 24 & 25 May, is devoted to Africa Day celebrations, culminating in two free concerts held in Newtown’s Mary Fitzgerald Square (24 May) and Soweto’s Mofolo Park (25 May). The concerts have always attracted a widely diverse audience. One the key reasons for its success is that the shows enjoyed the support of nationals from all parts of the African continent.
The Concert Goes On
“The easy thing would be to cancel or postpone the shows, but we believe that now, more than ever, it is critical that South Africans and our brothers and sisters from the rest of the continent gather together on this auspicious anniversary to celebrate and honour the ties that bind us, the commonalities that make us one people.” explains Steven Sack director for Arts Culture and Heritage within the Department of Community Development, City of Joburg “It’s important to remember that Africa Day was founded to connect us to one another as a people. We want the concerts to be an exemplar of this principle – let it be a place and time where we can be part of turning the tide against the xenophobia, and remind ourselves that fundamentally, we’re all in this together. ”
Safety and Security
The unrest has also prompted the organisers of the Africa Day celebrations to bolster the safety and security set up of the event to allay any potential worries around security at the shows.
Comments Graeme Dickson, Arts Alive Disaster Management Consultant “We are confident about our security plan, and working in close conjunction with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the South African Police , have escalated the security and police presence to an appropriate level. “
As the preparations for the events continue, there is no doubt that, in keeping with our tradition of overcoming strife and challenges, the City of Johannesburg’s Africa Day 2008 celebrations will become part of a new story – one that tells of the triumph of compassion and Ubuntu over fear and confusion.
