Aug-Sept 2014 K.indd

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www.cosatu.org.za • AUG/SEPT 2014

the right of the audience. When displayed vertically against a wall, the red band should be to the left of the spectator with the hoist or the cord seam uppermost. And that, if displayed horizontally, the hoist should be to the left of the spectator and the red band uppermost All of these sacred and important national symbols have their synergy expressed in our National Anthem which gives all of us a chance as one people to simultaneously declare our commitment and love for our country and all its treasures. Our National Anthem take us beyond the limits of time and space and make us to see the possibility of a South Africa which is painted and expressed in the freedom charter whose fi rst sentence declares that South Africa belong to all who live in it Black and White, that these people to whom South Africa belong to must have a voice in the governing of the country and that all of them must have an equal share in the country’s wealth. If our children can be made to be glued on TV to foreign cultures to a point of paying respect to other nations more than their own. If our children can be made to remain glued on TV to watch pornographic songs where the message of the song is full of vulgar and women depicted as sex objects, why should they not be exposed and be glued to understanding the national symbols of their own country, know the meaning of every colour in our national anthem and know the historical background of every word and stanza on our national anthem? We need to continuously popularise our National Anthem as we tell the true history of our country and if need be let this be aired and publicised in the morning and in the afternoon or even throughout the day. Why not?

National Fish the black fi sh or black bream or the Galjoen Coracinus Capensis. It keeps mostly to shallow water, is often found in rough surf right next to the shore, near rocks the color of the Galjoen is almost completely black, while in sandy areas the color is silver-bronze. The story of this Nation in the making which continues to strive for its unity is expressed in our coat of arms whose motto! Ke e: /xarra//ke, addresses each individual effort to harness the unity between thought and action. On a collective scale it calls for the nation to unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride - Unity in Diversity. The pride of our nation is expressed in our national fl ag which was designed by a former South African State Herald, Mr Fred Brownell, and was fi rst used on 27 April 1994. Beyond knowing its eye catching colors making it to be declared as the most recognizable fl ag in the world, our children and all our people must be made to know what each color stands for Our children must know that the National fl ag is our sacred symbol of pride which during the period of war is used as a symbol of victory or defeat. The respect we give to our fl ag includes the fact that it must never touch the fl oor or ground. It must never be used as a tablecloth or be draped in front of a platform. It must not be used to cover a statue, plaque or cornerstone at ceremonies, and that it not be used to start or fi nish tournaments. When the National Flag is displayed with any other fl ag, it must be hoisted up fi rst and lowered last? When our own fl ag is displayed with fl ags of other countries, all of them should be of equal size and fl own at same height. When used or displayed next to, or behind, a speaker at a meeting, it must be on her or his right hand side. And when placed, elsewhere in the hall or meeting place, it should be to

citizens owe it to the gallant fi ghters of our revolution that both our painful past and our common future remains engraved in the hearts and minds of the next generation. This clearly dictates a need for relentless education across generation about where we come from, where we are and where we are going. This narrative about our country is written in our national symbols such as in the unique beauty of our National Bird the elegant light Blue Crane which has a distinctive rattling croak, ‘kraaaarrrk’, fairly high-pitched at call, which can be heard from far away. It is expressed through the energy and the character of resilience of the Springbuck which has an unusual natural jumping ability which earned it its name; with an ability to adapt to the dry, barren areas and open grass plains. It feeds on grass and leaves and yet it can go without drinking water when it has to, because it gets enough moisture from the succulent leaves. The beauty, the collective strength of our nation and the ability of our nation to defy common logic and orthodox approaches is expressed in our national tree. The Yellowwood Tree mainly found from Table Mountain, which de fi es the logic of what we know, that trees which grow in unsheltered places like mountain slopes are often short, bushy and gnarl but the yellowood tree growing in the same environment can grow up to 40 metres in height with the base of the trunk sometimes up to 3 metres in diameter. The beauty, the healing smile, the usual laughter which can be seen during the pain and joy of our people is found in our National fl ower, the King Protea which can survive and live in fragile environments, can take moisture in through its leaves, and yet remain valued for its decorative qualities. Our adoptive character is found in our

Gender Agenda