Maropeng hosts national Heritage Day celebrations

Maropeng celebrated Heritage Day in two unique ways last month – hosting the national celebration of our heritage, and participating in a regional country festival.

For the third year running, Maropeng hosted the national Heritage Day celebrations. This year’s theme was “Celebrating Our Dance, Our Heritage”, while previous years have focused on music and poetry.

Minister of Arts and Culture Dr Pallo Jordan was in attendance and addressed the crowd, saying “There could be no more appropriate a place than Maropeng for this celebration.”

“Maropeng and the Cradle of Humankind is the place to which we can all trace and claim our origins. Here, more than anywhere else in the world, we can boldly assert and affirm that all humans derive from a common human family,” he continued.

Thousands of participants were entertained by dancers from various South African cultures, as well as famous local musicians, including the headliner act Skwatta Camp.

Maropeng also ran a stall at the Great Escape: Magaliesberg Country Classic Festival – an initiative of the members of the Magalies Meander aimed at showcasing the services on offer in the Magaliesburg area, as well as providing training and employment for individuals in the local community.

Visitors to Maropeng’s stall were invited to savour a glass of sparkling wine from the House of Krone, and indulge in Chocolates by Tomes, a newly launched African chocolate brand.

To see images of both these events, visit our gallery.