GOOD Statement by Brett Herron,
GOOD City of Cape Town Mayoral Candidate
24 September 2026
The intended meaning of Heritage Day, to acknowledge and celebrate South Africa’s cultural diversity, has been hijacked and diminished by the cultural and commercial interests of the middle-class braai brigade.
The vast majority of South Africans don’t celebrate Heritage Day around the braai, as they can’t afford to buy meat.
At a time that national unity is being tested as never before by a combination of apartheid denialism, radical inequality, and a resurgence of identity-based politics, reducing Heritage Day to “Braai Day” feels more inappropriate than ever this year.
South Africans will not find common ground and develop common purpose around the braai.
The State’s must do more than hold sterile annual events addressed by the President. It must put acknowledgement of our diverse heritage back into Heritage Day.
To allow it to be called Braai Day feels like whitewashing a fraught and complex history, and denying the possibility of national unity.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za