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{{short description|Public holiday in South Africa on 16 December}}{{good article}}{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}{{Use South African English|date=November 2012}}{{Distinguish|National Day for Truth and Reconciliation|Reconciliation Day}}

factoids

The Geloftedag is a public holiday in South Africa held annually on 16 December. The holiday came into effect in 1995 after the end of apartheid, with the intention of fostering reconciliation and national unity for the country.WEB, Day of Reconciliation,weblink Government of South Africa, 28 March 2017, Recognising the need for racial harmony, the government chose the date for its significance to both Afrikaner and indigenous South African cultures. The celebration of the Day of Reconciliation can take the form of remembering past history, recognising veteran's contributions, marching, and other festivities.The origins of the celebration for Afrikaners goes back to the Day of the Vow, which commemorates the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838. For black and indigenous South Africans, the date marks both peaceful protests against racial injustice and the founding of the Umkhonto we Sizwe paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC) on 16 December 1961. Nelson Mandela and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission chose a day that was special to both ethno-racial groups in the country in order to work on healing the damage done by apartheid.

Date and observance

The first time the Day of Reconciliation was celebrated as a public holiday was in 1995. The new government chose to represent national unity by choosing a date that had significance for "both the Afrikaner and liberation struggle traditions".On Day of Reconciliation, cultural groups participate in parades and various festivities take place throughout the country.NEWS,weblink Mpumalanga Reconciliation Day celebrations display cultural diversity, Wa Monareng, Motsebi, 16 December 2015, SABC, 25 October 2016, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161026000004weblink">weblink 26 October 2016, dmy-all, On Day of Reconciliation 2013, a statue of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, was unveiled at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.NEWS,weblink Nelson Mandela Statue Unveiled in South Africa on Day of Reconciliation, 16 December 2013, CTV News, 25 October 2016, During the celebration in 2009, President Jacob Zuma honored forgotten heroes of South Africa, including inscribing around 100 dead veteran's names on the Wall of Names at Freedom Park.NEWS,weblink Zuma homage to the 'forgotten heroes'; Tribute paid to struggle veterans at Day of Reconciliation ceremony, Bateman, Barry, 17 December 2009, The Star, 9 July 2017,weblink 29 July 2017, dead, In 2008, the first victim of "necklacing," Maki Skosana, was given a tombstone and remembered.NEWS, First Necklacing Victim Gets Day of Reconciliation Burial, 17 December 2008, Cape Times, For the celebration in 2001, the African National Congress (ANC) remembered the police raid that led to the Rivonia trial.NEWS,weblink South Africa's ANC Old Guard Reminisce at Site of Police Raid, 16 December 2001, The Index-Journal, 9 July 2017, Newspapers.com, Some of the communities take part in a walk which also serve as a memorial to Mandela. Other parts of South Africa have chosen to emphasize their need for racial harmony in their communities.Each year has had a different theme. For example:

• 2013: Nation Building, Social Cohesion, and Reconciliation.WEB,weblink Invitation to Reconciliation Day, 11 December 2013, South African Government, 25 October 2016,
• 2014: Social Cohesion, Reconciliation, and National Unity in the 20 Years of Democracy.WEB,weblink 16 December: a day to learn from the past, 16 December 2014, South Africa.info, 25 October 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161205185611weblink">weblink 5 December 2016, dead, dmy-all,
• 2015: Bridging the Divide: Building a common South African nationhood towards a national development state.WEB,weblink Day of Reconciliation 2015, 16 December 2015, South African Government, 25 October 2016,
• 2016: Bridging The Divide Towards A Non-Racist Society.WEB,weblink Reconciliation Day 2016, South African Government, 2019-12-16,
• 2017: The Year of OR Tambo: Reconciliation through Radical Socio-Economic Transformation.WEB,weblink Message by President Jacob Zuma on National Reconciliation Day 2017, Department Of Arts and Culture, 2019-12-16,
• 2018: The Year of Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu: Liberators for Reconciliation.WEB,weblink National Reconciliation Day 2018, South African Government, 2019-12-16,
• 2019: The Year of Indigenous Languages: Supporting National Reconciliation Through the Promotion, Development and Preservation of Indigenous Languages.WEB,weblink Day of Reconciliation 2019, South African Government, 2019-12-16,
• 2020: United In Action Against Racism, Gender-based Violence and Other Intolerances.WEB,weblink President Cyril Ramaphosa to virtually deliver Reconciliation Day keynote address, 16 Dec, South African Government, 2020-12-16,
• 2021: The year of Charlotte Maxeke: Promoting Reconciliation During the 25th Anniversary of the ConstitutionWEB,weblink Reconciliation Month 2021, South African Government, 2022-06-14,
• 2022: National Unity, Healing, and RenewalWEB,weblink Minister Nathi Mthethwa: 2022 National Reconciliation Day, 16 December 2022, South African Government, 2022-06-14,

Origin

Afrikaner origins

{{See|Battle of Blood River|Day of the Vow}}For Afrikaners, 16 December was commemorated as the Day of the Vow, also known as Day of the Covenant or Dingaansdag (Dingaan's Day).WEB,weblink December 16, the reflection of a changing South African heritage, 31 March 2011, South African History Online, 25 October 2016, The Day of the Vow was a religious holiday commemorating the Voortrekker victory over the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838,WEB,weblink Day of Reconciliation celebrated as a public holiday in SA for the first time, 16 March 2011, South African History Online, 25 October 2016, and is still celebrated by some Afrikaners.NEWS,weblink Holiday of White Conquest Persists in South Africa, Bearak, Barry, 16 December 2009, The New York Times, 25 October 2016, On that day, 470 Voortrekkers were attacked in an early morning battle led by Dingane's generals. The Voortrekkers defeated the Zulus who numbered in the tens of thousands and during the battle, 3,000 Zulu warriors were killed. The event became a "rallying point for the development of Afrikaner nationalism, culture and identity."The religious significance of the event, where it is called Day of the Covenant or Day of the Vow, involves the belief that the Voortrekker victory of the Zulus was ordained by God. The General Synod of the Afrikaners' Natal Churches chose 16 December as "an ecclesiastical day of thanksgiving by all its congregations" in 1864. Later, in 1894, Dingane's Day was declared a public holiday by the Government of the Orange Free State.During the Apartheid era, 16 December continued to be celebrated as the Day of the VowWEB,weblink Day of Reconciliation, Office Holidays, 25 October 2016, and the Day of the Covenant.WEB,weblink Day of Reconciliation, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 October 2016, In 1952, Dingane's Day was changed to Day of the Covenant and in 1980 was changed to The Day of the Vow. The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria was erected on 16 December 1949 to commemorate Dingane's Day.NEWS,weblink City of change: Exploring new South Africa in old Pretoria, Malathronas, John, 12 September 2016, CNN, 25 October 2016, WEB,weblink December 16, the reflection of a changing South African heritage, Anonymous, 31 March 2011, www.sahistory.org.za, 28 October 2016, The last year South Africa celebrated Day of the Vow was in 1994.NEWS,weblink South Africa: Holiday Tradition Ends, 17 December 1994, The Galveston Daily News, 9 July 2017, Newspapers.com, The transition from Day of the Vow to Day of Reconciliation was viewed with mixed emotions for Afrikaners.

African origins

{{see|Umkhonto we Sizwe}}Black and indigenous South Africans who did not have the right to vote after the South African War, protested racial discrimination on 16 December 1910. Other protests against the government handling of racial discrimination continued to be held on 16 December. In 1929, 1930 and 1934, anti-pass demonstrations were held by the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) on that day. The All African Convention (AAC) was held during the same time in 1935, covering dates 15 December through 18 December.Much later, when efforts of passive protest and resistance against apartheid had been unsuccessful, the African National Congress (ANC) decided to form a military or armed group. The decision to move to armed resistance happened after the ANC was banned by the government.WEB,weblink Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) operations report – The O'Malley Archives, O'Malley, Padraig, Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, 9 July 2017, Nelson Mandela believed that non-violent resistance was not working to stop Apartheid, and advocated acts of sabotage.NEWS,weblink Nelson Mandela's Spear of the Nation: the ANC's armed resistance, Laing, Aislinn, 5 February 2011, Telegraph.co.uk, 9 July 2017, en, The date of 16 December is the anniversary of the 1961 founding of Umkhonto we Sizwe ("Spear of the Nation" or MK), the armed wing of the ANC. On that day, Umkhonto we Sizwe enacted its "first acts of sabotage" which included bomb blasts against government buildings in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Also on 16 December 1961, the Umkhonto we Sizwe distributed leaflets describing how the group "will carry on the struggle for freedom and democracy by new methods, which are necessary to complement the actions of the established national liberation organisations."WEB,weblink The formation of Umkhonto We Sizwe, African National Congress, en, 9 July 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170729104548weblink">weblink 29 July 2017, dead, dmy-all,

Day of Reconciliation

When Apartheid ended, it was decided to keep 16 December as a public holiday, but to infuse it "with the purpose of fostering reconciliation and national unity." It was established by the government in 1994.JOURNAL, Sagolla, Lisa Jo, 11 November 2010, Collaborating Across Cultures,weblink Back Stage, 51, 45, 6, subscription, EBSCOhost, Nelson Mandela was part of the group of politicians that helped start the idea for the holiday.NEWS,weblink Former Battleground Provides Perfect Setting for Day of Reconciliation, 16 December 2014, SA People News, 26 October 2016, On 16 December 1995, the first celebration took place. The first meeting of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission also took place on 16 December 1995.BOOK,weblink Reconciliation in Divided Societies: Finding Common Ground, Daly, Erin, Sarkin, Jeremy, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007, 9780812239768, Philadelphia, 276, In an address in 1995, Archbishop Desmond Tutu described the holiday as serving the need of healing the wounds of Apartheid.BOOK,weblink The Politics of Truth and Reconciliation in South Africa: Legitimizing the Post-Apartheid State, Wilson, Richard A., Cambridge University Press, 2001, 0521001943, Cambridge, 14, The holiday is also used to celebrate minority cultural groups in South Africa, such as the San people.NEWS,weblink SA Celebrates Reconciliation Day, 16 December 2015, SABC, 25 October 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161026165754weblink">weblink 26 October 2016, dead, dmy-all, South African President, Jacob Zuma, in 2009, also stressed that the holiday was meant to also promote "non-sexism."NEWS,weblink Thousands Celebrate Day of Unity, 17 December 2009, The Times, subscription, 26 October 2016, EBSCOhost,

Other significance

It is the first of four public holidays observed at the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer, along with Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill and New Year's Day. Many small businesses close down and employees go on leave over this period.WEB,weblink When To Go To South Africa, Go2Africa Pty (Ltd), "South Africans tend to take their annual holidays ... mid-December to late January", 16 February 2011,

See also

• South African apartheid referendum

References

{{reflist|30em}weblink

w.w.w http webster .edu accessed in 07 june 2015

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131215044422weblink">Message by President Nelson Mandela on the first National Reconciliation Day, 16 December 1995
• Day of Reconciliation

{{South Africa Holidays}}