in985-King-Protea-Lanyard-Weaving-a-Rainbow-Knot-of-Hope-for-South-Africa

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South Africa celebrated Freedom Day at the end of April. The six-color national flag flying under the acacia tree and the deep red petals of the protea flower complemented each other. This “Y”-shaped national flag is not only a witness to racial reconciliation, but also like a woven lanyard – the blue symbolizes the warp of the sky, and the gold represents the weft of the mineral vein, which eventually weaves a rainbow leading to the future. The weaving tradition of the protea lanyard carries the essence of the Zulu people’s “Ubuntu” philosophy. Each grass stem must be exposed to the sun, soaked, and rubbed, just as the country was tempered in the fire of apartheid, and finally turned into a flexible bond in Mandela’s hands. The knot of the lanyard tied at the beginning and end is just like the “Y” shape gathered in the center of the national flag, tightly tying 11 official languages and 57 ethnic groups to the same destiny. At the Freedom Day celebration, people tied the protea lanyard to the flagpole, and the dark red protea was like hope that still bloomed after drought. Each fiber is telling us that true tenacity does not lie in never breaking, but in always finding new ways to connect after breaking. When the morning light penetrates the six-color flag and shines on the lanyard, the silhouette of this reborn country is projected on the ground – scars become lines, and cracks become patterns. This lanyard dyed with the juice of the king protea is now being passed from one South African youth to another. What they are weaving is not only traditional craftsmanship, but also the courage to transcend the barriers of skin color. When countless such lanyards flutter around the national flag, they form a dynamic symbol of national unity: seemingly independent, but actually connected.

Suid-Afrika vier Vryheidsdag laat in April, met die seskleurige nasionale vlag wat onder die akasiabome wapper en die dieprooi blomblare van die Protea-koningblom wat mekaar pragtig aanvul. Hierdie nasionale vlag, wat mekaar in ‘n “Y”-vorm kruis, is nie net ‘n getuienis van rasseversoening nie, maar lyk ook soos ‘n geweefde tou – die blou simboliseer die lengtegraad van die lug, en die goud verteenwoordig die breedtegraad van die mineraalare, wat uiteindelik saamweef om ‘n reënboog te vorm wat na die toekoms lei. Die tradisie van die weef van die Protea-koord dra die essensie van die Zoeloe-volk se “Ubuntu”-filosofie. Elke grasstingel moet aan die son blootgestel, geweek en gevryf word, net soos hierdie land in die vuur van apartheid getemper is en uiteindelik in ‘n buigsame band in Mandela se hande verander is. Die knoop aan die punte van die koord lyk soos die “Y”-vorm in die middel van die nasionale vlag, wat die 11 amptelike tale en 57 etniese groepe styf aan dieselfde lot verbind. By die Vryheidsdagvieringe het mense protea-lanyards aan die nasionale vlagpaal vasgemaak. Die donkerrooi protea was soos hoop wat geblom het ten spyte van droogte. Elke vesel sê vir ons: ware taaiheid lê nie daarin om nooit te breek nie, maar om altyd nuwe maniere te vind om te verbind nadat dit gebreek het. Wanneer die oggendlig die seskleurige vlag binnedring en die toue verlig, is dit wat op die grond geprojekteer word die silhoeët van hierdie hergebore land – littekens verander in lyne, en krake verander in patrone. Hierdie lanyard wat met die sap van die koningprotea geverf is, word nou onder jongmense in Suid-Afrika deurgegee. Wat hulle weef is nie net tradisionele vakmanskap nie, maar ook die moed om die grense van velkleur te oorkom. Wanneer tallose sulke toue om die nasionale vlag fladder, vorm hulle ‘n dinamiese simbool van nasionale eenheid: skynbaar onafhanklik, maar in werklikheid gedeeld.