What is Africa Day?

On the 25^th  May we celebrated Africa Day. This day happens to fall in May which is Africa month. We celebrate Africa day because it reminds us of our African culture, heritage and religion. It reminds us of the elements of being African which is Ubuntu, peace and harmony as one. It also reminds us how interconnected we are in this continent as we share a common trait which is liberation.

The tradition of Africa day has transcended since 1958 when the President of Ghana Nkrumah declared this day as African day. Africa comes along way as it was tarnished by Slavery, poverty and hardship. On this day we also remember fallen African heroes who fought in the struggle to make Africa an independent continent from foreign colonializing countries.

The likes of Robert Sobukwe, who believed in the PAN – African movement that stipulated that Africa belongs to Africans’.  External forces like Malcom X (X is his name is the “unknown “symbol in maths because he believed that his forefathers were given slave surnames during times of slavery” who shared the same philosophy as Steve Biko. They both believed that as Africans we should be proud of who we are and have black dignity and black identity.

This is also remarkable for us South Africans because it reminds us of our diverse languages and cultures which are also interconnected. Africa Day should also enable us to help those in need in refugee camps and also remind us of the bad past and present Xenophobic attacks which are still encoring and should be stopped. We also need to believe that in this modern age, being African is not defined by the colour of your skin but is determined by your ancestral roots. In conclusion, Africa belongs to those who live in it.