Staff Reporter
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to join the global phenomenon created by local hit song Jerusalema and take up the challenge to dance to it on Heritage Day.
He said this when he announced the latest adjustment to Alert Level 1 of the national lockdown which will see more sectors of the economy resuming operations.
Ramaphosa said this could be the most befitting way to reflect on the difficult journey the country has travelled over the past six months and pay tribute to those who led the fight against the disease as well as those who have succumbed to it.
“I urge everyone to use this public holiday as family time, to reflect on the difficult journey we have all travelled, to remember those who have lost their lives, and to quietly rejoice in the remarkable and diverse heritage of our nation,” he said.
“And there can be no better celebration of our South African-ness than joining the global phenomenon that is the Jerusalema dance challenge.”
“So, I urge all of you to take up this challenge on Heritage Day and show the world what we are capable of,” he added.
Heritage Day will be celebrated on September 24.
The song, which was released late last year, has become a global phenomenon embraced by different communities joining the dance craze made popular by a group of friends from Angola.
They recorded themselves taking to the dance floor with their plates and pots of food in an impromptu video.
Nomcebo Zikode’s unique vocal prowess has wowed audiences in the South African disco-house track.
The original video to the song now has over 135 million views on YouTube and it is now the most searched song on the music app Shazam.
The app identifies music, films, adverts and television shows from a short sample.