Fifty Langa families are due to be honoured tomorrow, Friday October 27, for their contributions to the community as part of the township’s centenary celebrations.
The Langa Heritage Legends Inkaba Awards Legacy Programme will recognise achievements in various spheres over the years, including by some who made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against apartheid.
The awards will be presented at the Guga S’Thebe Arts and Culture Centre.
The awards programme was established by Sinakho Leadership Support and Skills Development Centre and the Freedom Park Museum.
At the Guga S’Thebe Arts and Culture Centre, last Saturday, representatives from Sinakho met the families who have been nominated for the awards.
The founder of Sinakho Dr Mthobeli Guma said it was important to honour those who had helped to build the community.
“It is equally important that our cultural history be preserved and celebrated. Being the oldest black township in the Western Cape, Langa was at the forefront in the struggle against racism and apartheid. Through all the challenges the community faced, it was family support, richness of culture and the comfort of folk tradition that kept the community strong in the face of the injustices of the past.
“The strength drawn from these challenges inspired the community to produce people who would help shape it in different fields of development,” he said.
Sinakho programme manager Nontuthuzelo Phahlane said the awards were a way for Langa’s prominent families to pass on their legacy to a younger generation.
“The families made strides. If it wasn’t for those families, Langa would have been where it is today. There are families who opened their houses as institutions, adopted children and taught them. These awards are about the family’s achievements. It will be from sports, business, politics and many others. They grew the community to serve the nation,” she said.
Sinakho, which is based at the Guga S’Thebe Arts and Culture Centre, works to support and develop leadership in the community.
