Tweede Nuwejaar 2015

Before you inundate me with valid and sensible reasons as to why Tweede Nuwejaar has now apparently moved from the 5th (tomorrow) to the 10th, before you give me arguments about cultural rights and expression, about hegemony, and assumed and self-determined identity, about history and politics and whatever course discussions resulting out of this move take, about who's to blame and to whom goes the shame - let me just say that this seeming wishy-washiness around determining the date for celebrating Tweede Nuwejaar is skoon stront! The fact that thousands of people pitch up for it, that teams, neighborhoods and communities unite around it, its historical significance for the vast majority of people in this province, and the meaning attached to it for so many, demands some kind of consideration for context in its expression. It is horribly ironic, that a cultural event named for when it should happen - Tweede Nuwejaar/Second New Year - has been shunted to the 5th, and now, I'm told, even further afield to the 10th. And whilst I appreciate that some approach this with a 'does it really matter?' attitude, I'm afraid I don't get to choose - to me it does. And frankly, as the youngsters are wont to say - It Sucks!

SP