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The flag, coat of arms and national anthem are a cornerstone of this year's Heritage Day celebration, which take place nationally on 24 September. The theme for this year's activities is "Celebrating our National Symbols." The theme has been chosen to popularise South African's national symbols and to foster understanding of the significance of these symbols.

Dr Ben Ngubane, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, announced the theme for Heritage Day after a decision was taken in a meeting with provincial ministers of Arts and Culture (MINMEC) in Cape Town. "Underpinning national and provincial Heritage Day celebrations this year will be an educational campaign aimed at school children and the wider public to promote awareness and understanding of national symbols. Even after six year of the national anthem being introduced, a significant number of South Africa is still cannot sing the national anthem. One of the tasks we would like to achieve is to get all citizens to appreciate and sing the national anthem with pride and dignity.

National symbols are defined in terms of the Constitution and are meant to promote reconciliation and nation building. In the founding provisions of the constitution it is stated that the Republic of South Africa is a sovereign democratic sate founded on the following values:

a) Human dignity, the achievement of equality and advancement of human rights and freedoms
b) Non-racialism and non sexism
c) The supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law
d) Universal adult suffrage, national common voters roll, regular election, and a multiparty system of democratic government to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness.

These values are expressed in the national anthem, flag and coat of arms of our country.

Co-operation between three tiers of government is progressing apace. The mooted funding and management agreement of government subsidised playhouse is progressively being implemented so that local, provincial and national government departments jointly oversee the State Theatre in Pretoria, the Sand du Plesssis in Bloemfontein, the Arts Cape in Cape Town and the Playhouse in Durban.

This expression of co-operation and unity within the field of arts and culture demonstrates that all spheres of government are united in action to create a better life for South African artists.

Contact: Andile Xaba at 083 377 6627

Issued by Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology

20 June 2001