Proposed new calendar

THE Commission for Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has held numerous public forums around the country addressing the issue of public holidays.

During these events, members of various religious organisations and interested parties voiced their concerns and gave recommendations. Some of these were compiled in a report by the commission.

It was titled “Public Holidays versus Religious/Cultural Holidays”.

Among its recommendations, it stated that the Department of Home Affairs and the government should: Restructure public holidays. Cluster some of the existing public holidays.

Remove some of the existing public holidays and replace them with new holidays.

Declare some of the existing public holidays to be non-public holidays but half days where people can be released early on those days.

Do away with the provision that if a public holidays falls on a Sunday, then such a holiday is moved to a Monday.

Amend the Public Holidays Act by removing Family Day, Boxing Day and the Day of Reconciliation.

Amend the act by adding religious holidays of the following religions: African traditional religion, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Bahai, Rastafarian and Buddhism; and allot each of these religions only one day.

Capture other important holidays of religious groups on the calendar, not as public holidays, but for the public to be aware of those days.