in981-The-King-of-Flowers-Lighting-the-Road-to-Unity-in-South-Africa

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September is South Africa’s Heritage Month. When the national flag flies on Constitution Hill, the six-color Y-shaped pattern tells the story of the Rainbow Country. The national flag, composed of red, yellow, blue, green, black and white, is not only a symbol of geographical boundaries, but also a totem of different civilizations forged in flames – just like the sparks from the Protea lighter, which refine the fragments into a brilliant crystallization of civilization. As the only Protea lighter workshop on the African continent, Cape Town craftsmen inject the fortitude of the national flower into steel. This plant, which grows in barren sandstone, fights drought with its flaming petals, just like the fire of faith that Mandela ignited on Robben Island. The inner wall of each handmade lighter is engraved with the preamble of the Constitution: “We, the people of South Africa, recognize that the rift between us needs to be bridged.” When young people raise this cluster of jumping flames, they are not only lighting tobacco, but also a spiritual torch passed down from generation to generation. At the Y-shaped intersection of the national flag, the metal relief of the Protea stretches in the flames, reminding every South African: true unity does not lie in eliminating differences, but in letting different colors dance together in the flames. Just as a craftsman melts thirteen parts into a lighter, this country that has experienced racial segregation is forging historical scars into a torch that illuminates the future. At this moment, let the flame of the king protea illuminate the six-color national flag. May everyone who guards the flame become a footnote to the rainbow that never fades.

September is Suid-Afrika se Erfenismaand, en wanneer die nasionale vlag oor Konstitusieheuwel wapper, vertel die seskleurige verweefde Y-vormige patroon die storie van die Reënboognasie. Die nasionale vlag, saamgestel uit rooi, geel, blou, groen, swart en wit, is nie net ‘n simbool van geografiese grense nie, maar ook ‘n totem wat deur verskillende beskawings in vlamme gesmee is – net soos die vonke van ‘n protea-aansteker, wat die gebroke fragmente in briljante kristalle van beskawing verfyn. As die enigste keiserlike vuurwerkmasjienwerkswinkel op die Afrika-kontinent, vul Kaapstadse vakmanne die nasionale blom se krag in staal. Hierdie plant, wat in dorre sandsteen groei, bestry droogte met sy vlammende blomblare, net soos die vuur van geloof wat Mandela op Robbeneiland aangesteek het. Die binnewand van elke handgemaakte aansteker is gegraveer met die aanhef van die Grondwet: “Ons, die mense van Suid-Afrika, erken dat die klowe tussen ons oorbrug moet word.” Wanneer jongmense hierdie dansende vlam aansteek, steek hulle nie net tabak aan nie, maar ook die geestelike fakkel wat van geslag tot geslag oorgedra word. By die Y-vormige kruising van die nasionale vlag strek die metaalreliëf van die koningprotea in die vlamme en herinner elke Suid-Afrikaner daaraan: ware eenheid lê nie in die uitskakeling van verskille nie, maar in die laat van verskillende kleure saam dans in die vlamme. Net soos ‘n vakman dertien dele in ‘n aansteker smelt, smee hierdie land wat apartheid ervaar het, die letsels van sy geskiedenis in ‘n fakkel wat die toekoms verlig. Laat die vlam van die koningprotea op hierdie oomblik die seskleurige nasionale vlag verlig. Mag elkeen wat die vuur bewaak, ‘n voetnoot word van die reënboog wat nooit vervaag nie.