The Foundation of Culture 

Written by Manelisi Manellie 

Village Scene with South African Flag by Maggie Molongo (Mutual Art)

Villiage Scene with South African Flag by Maggie Molongo is an embroidery on textile presentation that offers rich dimension through colourful and strikingly textured pictorial elements. As the title suggests, Villiage Scene with South African Flag places figures complementary to the South African national flag, which is acclaimed for its representation of a hard-won democracy and a culturally diverse nation. This decorative artwork design provides a visible outlook of a distinct and dynamic lived experience in a South African rural village. This piece has inspired a consideration of the value of culture, its meaning in the context of South Africa, our responsibility of protecting it and new expressions and spaces for cultural development, preservation and evolution. 

Arguably, the value of cultural heritage is as concrete as it is seemingly subtle. The tangibility of culture expresses itself through its definition as “distinctive ideas, customs, social behaviour, products, or a way of life of a particular nation, society, people, or period” (Martin, Nakayama, van Rheede & Schutte, 2013). This suggests that a unique point of view is the starting point of culture and a forerunner to connections with those who share the same outlook. For every shared idea there is a potential pathway to common practices that are dependent on the survival of this lifestyle and vice versa. In present times the supply of products and service delivery sustains the survival of everyday life in contrast to the sustenance that nature afforded society in a less urbanised period. 

On the other hand, the subtlety of culture likely comes from a common viewpoint that it has no immediate economic value in contemporary society, beyond artistic demonstrations such as busking, beadwork, theatre, literature and dance. It is for this reason that culture’s continued susceptibility of being disregarded as merely an idea or state of being is a perception that leaves a gap for the power and agency of culture to be transferred to those who truly see its value. At best the accountability is accepted and used as an asset to further significant interests of a cultural group, yet the unfortunate alternative is that the accountability is neglected to serve personal interests, leaving culture in a state of stagnation and oblivion. 

However, this does not seem to be case in the oldest township in Cape Town, kwaLanga (popularly known as Langa). This neighbourhood, founded in 1923 was named after the AmaHlubu king, Langalibalele and is also home to community leader and tour guide, Alfred Magwaca. During an early 2023 interview on Metro FM’s Mo Flava Breakfast Show, Magwaca highlighted the development of various infrastructures that speak to the people of kwaLanga and commended the community’s fight for recognition of their traditional culture, history and social life. Magwaca engaged his community leadership abilities to such an extent that he can proudly boast about Langa’s recognition as an official heritage site, a distinction that is shared with other monumental hotspots such as Table Mountain, Cape Point and Robben Island.

Due to the apartheid government’s inception of racial segregation and homelands system (Ker-Lyndsay, 2023), a separation of each cultural identity across the country took place that led to a likely conditioning of racial (and tribal) purism. Although each segregated group developed its own cultural infrastructure, the grim circumstances under which this infrastructure was built puts the capacity of our diverse society’s influence over culture in contemporary society into question. This is in large part due to missed opportunities of growth and development that was caused by centuries of colonial rule and oppression. Therefore any effort that is in line with continuing nation-building that promotes diversity and nationhood is necessitated to uphold the basic infrastructure of South Africa’s cultural heritage in a contemporary society.

Many may dismiss cultural heritage as having little to no space in the fabric of contemporary society and this position is mainly due to a growing trend of individualism in modern society. Yet culture has the potential to show up for many who are circumstantially subjected to being alone either by way of being the last surviving member of a family unit or suffering from family estrangement. The context of cultural heritage in South Africa justifiably puts immense emphasis on historic ethnic cultures across the country. Though many who feel alienated by this impression rely on the construction of new ideas, customs, social behaviour, products and a way of life developed through interpersonal relationships, common interests or membership in a mostly constructive social organisation such as church.

Culture is obligated to adjust to the times and leave lessons and ideas that can be passed down to the next generation. Among those lessons and ideas are those that deal with divisions that plague society that are based on gender, race, tribe or class. The most apparent take away should be the documented cause of these divisions and an ongoing acceptance that whatever is divided can also be easily conquered. History often tends to repeat itself and as of late there are noticeable individual divides to contend with. It is our duty to protect our cultural infrastructure of diversity, nation building and nationhood against any form of implicit or explicit attack. It is also our duty to find ways of using our cultural identity, views and beliefs to further South African nationhood and nation-building, as opposed to counteracting it with continued isolation and division.

Reference list

• Martin, JN, Nakayama TK, van Rheede, GP, Schutte PJ (2013). Experiencing Intercultural Communication – An introduction. McGraw-Hill Education
• South Africa | Apartheid’s Fake States?. YouTube, uploaded by Professor James Ker-Lindsay, 02 October 2023. www.youtu.be/h84EkEG-KHM?si=yHjuTft9Pm4yVewk