Full Circle Digital Magazine September 2013 | Page 8

F U L L

C I R C L E

F E A T U R E

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P R O U D LY

A F R I C A N

Proudly African

Tanzanian dress It is appropriate that a view that traces our identity back to something as fundamental as our very existence, should be associated with Africa. After all, based on archaeological and genetic evidence, this continent is the origin of humankind. In fact, some of the oldest humanoid fossils were discovered in our proverbial backyard – at Sterkfontein on the West Rand. This area is not called the Cradle of Humankind for nothing. I believe that we owe it to Mrs Ples and all who came after her and scattered across the earth, to pay heed to the centuries-old African wisdom that we are people through and with other people. We were not born to be divided; we all belong to one humankind. That is why we are united in our diversity. Seen this way, we do not merely accept our diversity – we embrace and celebrate it. It is with this heritage as our foundation that we can build a better future for the next generation of South Africans. What matters is not that we can be excluded from this or subgroup for whatever reason, but that we are all included in the overarching collective – humankind itself. That is why I am proudly African.

Kikuyu Tribe
Photos: Hans Silvester, Johan Kloppers and Wikimedia

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FULL CIRCLE DIGITAL MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2013