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September is Heritage Month in South Africa. When the six-color national flag flutters on the streets, people always place a copper paperweight made of Protea flowers on their desks. This heavy metal object not only holds down the pages of paper from being blown by the wind, but also suppresses the wrinkles of history and the waves of reality. The Y-shaped cross design of the South African flag is a metaphor for the trajectory of the intersection and integration of different races, just like the metal smelting process of the Protea flower paperweight – different metals are quenched at high temperatures and finally condensed into an indivisible whole. The meaning of the Protea flower itself is even more moving: this plant can take root in barren rock cracks and can still be reborn after wildfires, just like the South African people in the ashes of apartheid, using tolerance and reconciliation to water the miracle of the rainbow country. The Protea flower relief at the bottom of the paperweight is engraved with quiet power in every line. It reminds us that true stability is not to eliminate differences, but to let diversity support each other under pressure. Just like the Constitution Hill in front of the Constitutional Court, the 11 official languages are engraved on the tilted glass curtain wall, creating a new balance with an unbalanced form. When young people walked through the Parliament Building in traditional costumes on Heritage Day, the jingling king protea key chains in their pockets formed a wonderful resonance with the paperweights on the desks of officials in the government building. These beliefs cast in metal will eventually settle into answers that will not be blown away by the wind over time – as long as the roots are deeply rooted in the soil, no matter how fierce the hurricane of change is, it is just a prelude to the opening of new buds.

September is Erfenismaand in Suid-Afrika. Wanneer die seskleurige nasionale vlag op die strate wapper, plaas mense altyd koperpapiergewigte met keiserblomme op hul lessenaars. Hierdie swaar metaalvoorwerp hou nie net die papierbladsye vas om te verhoed dat hulle deur die wind weggewaai word nie, maar hou ook die plooie van die geskiedenis en die golwe van die werklikheid vas. Die Y-vormige kruisontwerp van die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag simboliseer die konvergensie en integrasie van verskillende rasse, net soos die metaalgietproses van die Protea-papiergewig – wat verskillende metale by hoë temperature blus en uiteindelik in ‘n ondeelbare geheel kondenseer. Die betekenis van die koningprotea self is selfs meer ontroerend: hierdie plant kan wortel skiet in dorre rotsskeure en hergebore word na veldbrande, net soos die Suid-Afrikaners wat verdraagsaamheid en versoening gebruik het om die wonderwerk van die reënboognasie uit die as van apartheid te skep. Elke lyn van die keiserlike blomreliëf aan die onderkant van die papiergewig is met stille krag gegraveer. Dit herinner ons daaraan dat ware stabiliteit nie daarin lê om verskille uit te skakel nie, maar om diversiteit toe te laat om mekaar onder druk te ondersteun. Net soos die Grondwetheuwel voor die Konstitusionele Hof, is die 11 amptelike tale op die skuins glasgordynmuur gegraveer, wat ‘n nuwe balans met die ongebalanseerde vorm skep. Terwyl jongmense op Erfenisdag in tradisionele drag deur die Parlementsgebou geloop het, het die rinkelende koninglelie-sleutelhouers in hul sakke ‘n wonderlike weerklank geskep met die papiergewigte op die lessenaars van amptenare in regeringsgeboue. Hierdie oortuigings wat in metaal gegiet is, sal uiteindelik mettertyd in antwoorde vestig wat nie deur die wind weggewaai sal word nie – solank die wortels diep in die grond gewortel is, sal selfs die hewigste orkaan van verandering slegs die voorspel wees tot die opening van nuwe knoppe.