Loving the rain on 24 September 2014 I tweeted: National Braai Day in #portelizabeth is turning into National Stew Day as the rain buckets down!
After a number of retweets I got a reply thus: @MyPE #portelizabeth Great news. Rain is always welcome – drought cycle. Who declared Heritage Day to be “National Braai Day” anyway?
And one more reply as follows: @kupidobaron @MyPE #portelizabeth #24 Sept is Heritage Day, braai if you want. We can’t reduce the profundity of this day. #EachOneTeachOne
The lesson in PC from MyPE went as follows: Maybe we should be completely correct and call 24 September by it’s original name – Shaka Day instead of Heritage Day @kupidobaron
What people forget is that 24 September was known as Shaka Day, in commemoration of the legendary Zulu King, Shaka who played an important role in uniting disparate Zulu clans into a cohesive nation. Each year people gathered at King Shaka’s grave to honor him on this day.
The Public Holidays Bill presented to the Parliament of South Africa in 1995 did not have 24 September included on the list of proposed public holidays. As a result of this exclusion, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), objected to the bill. Parliament and the IFP reached a compromise and the day was given its present title and seen as a public holiday.
In essence the day remained as a public holiday as a result of Shaka Zulu. And now we celebrate our South African culture by uniting people around a braai fire which may be fired by wood, twigs, gas or Charka Briketts.
[Tweet “Would Zulu’s mind if we renamed Heritage/Braai Day – the former SHAKA Day – to CHARKA Day? @CharkaSA”]
One other public holiday with Zulu roots is the old Dingaans Day which was also referred to as the Day of the Covenant – commemorating the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838. These days 16 December is named the Day of Reconciliation.
Retweet your position below: The mark of a mature democracy is that it entertains everyone’s opinions!
National Braai Day in #portelizabeth is turning into National Stew Day as the rain buckets down!
— Gqeberha (@MyPE) September 24, 2014
@MyPE #portelizabeth Great news. Rain is always welcome – drought cycle. Who declared Heritage Day to be "National Braai Day" anyway?
— Kupido Baron (@kupidobaron) September 24, 2014
@kupidobaron @MyPE #portelizabeth #24 Sept is Heritage Day, braai if you want. We can't reduce the profundity of this day. #EachOneTeachOne
— 4x World Rugby Champs ?? (@NomafaS) September 24, 2014
Maybe we should be completely correct and call 24 September by it's original name – Shaka Day instead of Heritage Day @kupidobaron
— Gqeberha (@MyPE) September 24, 2014
It's a stewy encounter =D RT @MyPE: National Braai Day in #PortElizabeth is turning into National Stew Day as the rain buckets down!
— Siphesihle (@SiphesihleMusic) September 24, 2014
"@MyPE: National Braai Day in #portelizabeth is turning into National Stew Day as the rain buckets down!"
— ntshintsho.love?? (@NtombentshaG) September 24, 2014
Alan Straton
Latest posts by Alan Straton (see all)
- The Countdown On – Mind Matters Is Taking Over Cape Town Before Taking the Conversation Global - 28 September 2026
- BurnesSEO Study Finds South African Small Businesses Invisible in AI Search Results - 28 September 2026
- BurnesSEO Study Finds South African Small Businesses Invisible in AI Search Results - 28 September 2026
- What Causes Petechiae? When Tiny Red Spots Could Be a Sign of Something Serious - 28 September 2026
- Why Digital Equity Is South Africa’s New Frontier for Women’s Empowerment – By Matebe Chisiza-Asukile and Natasha Mboyisa - 25 September 2026
Aaarrgg – what’s up with Kupido??? EVERYONE knows that it is national Braai day – even the shops like SPAR, refer to it as braai day. Is Kupido wanting to dictate to us now about HOW we are allowed to celebrate our heritage??? I thought that this was meant to be a democracy and NOT a dictatorship. But clearly members of the local ANC metro seem to have overlooked that little fact. Yes – I will in future call it Charka / Shaka day. Viva King Shaka. Viva national braai day. Viva Charka day. Kupido – really – even your fellow ANC members love to throw some vleis on the braai. Look at Man Braai shop. Did he shut up shop yesterday? I think Kupido you need to get a proper life and stop trying to destroy my African heritage with your petty minded comments. Embrace Africa – every single one of us is AFRICAN and proud of it.
Left the following comment (awaiting moderation) on a blog post by an angry young woman – “As an African I feel your pain. Maybe we should rename Heritage Day again. See: http://mype.co.za/new/a-shaka-charka-day-lesson-in-political-correctness/41305/2014/09 After all what makes us unique as a nation is that we dance, sing and smile when we are angry.”
Read Ntsiki Mazwai’s post here: http://ntsikimazwai.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/dear-white-south-africans/