16.12.2025
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Ramaphosa to deliver Reconciliation Day keynote address in KZN

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  • The Day of Reconciliation is marked every year in South Africa on 16 December.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will today deliver the keynote address at the National Commemoration of Reconciliation Day at the Ncome Museum in the uMzinyathi District in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Day of Reconciliation is a South African public holiday established in 1995 to foster national unity after apartheid. The date was chosen because it held significance for both Afrikaner and African liberation history.

It marks the Afrikaner Day of the Vow and the founding of the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. The holiday serves to acknowledge this shared, though conflicting, past and promote reconciliation and forgiveness.

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Arts and Culture in Parliament has called on South Africans to reflect on the country’s shared history and confront the inequalities that continue to divide society.

The committee’s chairperson, Joe McGluwa, says genuine reconciliation requires a collective effort to build social cohesion, protect cultural heritage, and create opportunities for all.

“The committee urges all South Africans to reflect on this day, on our shared history, to confront and rectify the inequalities that still persist and work together to build a more inclusive and vibrant future. The committee also remains committed to supporting each and every programme and institution that advances social cohesion, protects cultural heritage and promotes opportunities for all,” says McGluwa.

VIDEO | Reconciliation Day buildup

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