The Month of September is recognised as Heritage Month, during this month we celebrate that irrespective of race, colour or creed we are one nation and that we must realize that the key to unity in our country is to embrace the reality that all South Africans have many identities and yet we are all South African.
2019 has been declared by the United Nations as the year where the world celebrate indigenous languages in order to raise awareness of them, not only to benefit the people who speak these languages but also for others to appreciate the important contribution they make to our world’s rich cultural heritage.
The theme for Heritage Month 2019 will be celebrated under ““Celebrating South Africa’s literary classics in the year of indigenous languages”
As part of Heritage Month Celebrations and recognizing the significant and fundamental Ms Elsie Vaalbooi played in the preservation and promotion of the N!uu Language the Department of Sport , Arts and Culture will be unveiling a tombstone in honour of her.
Ma Elsie Vaalbooi was the first person to resurface as a fluent speaker of the Nǀuu language which was declared extinct during 1973. She was instrumental with the development of our Northern Cape Provincial motto Sa ||a !aĩsi 'uĩsi (“We go to a better life”), which is in the Nǀu dialect of the Nǁnǂe (ǂKhomani) people .
The event is scheduled as forth:
Date: Saturday 21 September 2019
PART 0NE – UNVEILING OF TOMBSTONE – RIETFONTEIN
Time: 07h30 – Ritual @ the home of Ma Elsie Vaalbooi
08h00 – Memorial Unveiling and Wreath Laying @ Graveside
PART TWO - FORMAL PROCEEDINGS @ FAMILY HOME RIETFONTEIN
Time: 09h30
The media is cordially invited to the unveiling of the Tombstone of Ma Elsie Vaalbooi on the 21 September 2019 in Rietfontein.
For more media enquiries please contact Conrad Fortune @ 079 873 0679 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter: @ArtsCultureSA /
#HeritageMonth
#HeritageDay
#IChooseToReadInMyLanguage
Issued by: Conrad Fortune
Spokesperson for the Department of Sport ,Arts and Culture.