in982-A-new-chapter-blooms-from-the-ashes-the-South-African-spirit-in-the-ashtray-of-the-king-protea

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In April, the air in South Africa is filled with the breath of freedom. When people commemorate the democratic election that changed history on April 27, 1994, the fluttering six-color national flag and the everlasting king protea are telling the allegory of the rebirth of this rainbow country. The Y-shaped intersection of the South African flag is just like the unique design of the king protea ashtray – people from different cultural backgrounds are like ashes of various colors blending here. The king protea pattern engraved on the bottom of the ashtray hides a profound metaphor: those painful memories that were once regarded as “embers” will eventually settle into fertile soil for new life after being tempered by the melting pot of tolerance. This ashtray, which was transformed from shells by retired soldiers, has been passed down from generation to generation in South African families. When people gently flick the cigar ashes into the king protea stamens, they always think of the Zulu proverb “Fire can burn everything, but it can also forge new life.” Just as the black triangle on the national flag rises hope from oppression, the ashtray carries not only ashes, but also the courage to transform pain into wisdom. When the sunlight of Freedom Day penetrated the stained glass of the Parliament Building and cast the reflection of the national flag on the ashtray of the king flower, South Africans always believed that true unity does not lie in erasing differences, but in allowing all colors to coexist in the ashes and bloom with a light brighter than the flame. This is the survival philosophy of South Africa – sowing seeds in the embers and letting hope bloom forever on the ashes.

In April in Suid-Afrika is die lug gevul met die geur van vryheid. Terwyl mense die demokratiese verkiesing op 27 April 1994 herdenk wat die geskiedenis verander het, vertel die wapperende seskleurige nasionale vlag en die immer-vervaagde protea die allegorie van die wedergeboorte van hierdie reënboognasie. Die Y-vormige kruising van die Suid-Afrikaanse vlag is net soos die unieke ontwerp van die Protea-asbak – mense van verskillende kulturele agtergronde is soos verskillende kleure as wat hier saamsmelt. Die keiserlike blompatroon wat op die bodem van die asbak gegraveer is, verberg ‘n diepgaande metafoor: daardie pynlike herinneringe wat eens as “as” beskou is, sal uiteindelik in die oond van verdraagsaamheid geblus word en in vrugbare grond vir nuwe lewe neergeslaan word. Hierdie asbak, gemaak van patrone deur afgetrede soldate, is van geslag tot geslag in Suid-Afrikaanse families oorgedra. Wanneer mense saggies sigaaras in die stamper van die keiserblom skiet, dink hulle altyd aan die Zoeloe-spreekwoord “Vuur kan alles verbrand, maar dit kan ook nuwe lewe smee.” Net soos die swart driehoek op die nasionale vlag hoop verteenwoordig wat uit onderdrukking oprys, dra die asbak nie net as nie, maar ook die moed om pyn in wysheid te omskep. Toe die sonlig van Vryheidsdag die gebrandskilderde glas van die Parlementsgebou binnegedring het en die weerkaatsing van die nasionale vlag op die keiserblom-asbak gegooi het, het Suid-Afrikaners altyd geglo dat ware eenheid nie daarin lê om verskille uit te wis nie, maar om alle kleure in die as te laat saambestaan en te blom met ‘n lig helderder as vlamme. Dit is Suid-Afrika se filosofie van oorlewing – saai saad in die kole en laat hoop vir ewig bo die as blom.