As South Africa prepares to celebrate Heritage Day, Khulisa Social Solutions is reminding the nation that our most valuable heritage lies not only in culture and tradition, but also in the spirit of Ubuntu, dialogue, and collective problem-solving. In partnership with the UK-based Society of Mediators (SoM), Khulisa has launched a groundbreaking programme that equips South Africans with the skills to resolve disputes peacefully and strengthen community resilience.

Since September 2025, over 50 participants—including youth leaders, ward councillors, municipal officers, NGO representatives, social workers, and tribal authorities—have taken part in Community Peace and Social Cohesion Training, followed by regional action planning workshops, and will continue to do so in the coming months. The training combines restorative justice practices, psychosocial support, and dialogue processes, and the results show that it is already making an impact. Ninety per cent of participants reported improved knowledge of peacebuilding principles, 87 per cent strengthened their facilitation and mediation skills, and 75 per cent have already applied these tools in their communities.

Regional action plans have been developed and implemented across five provinces. In the Eastern Cape, mediators are capacitating NGOs and municipalities to resolve school conflicts. In Limpopo, action in Musina is focused on labour rights disputes involving migrant workers, while in Blouberg the priority is reducing gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies. In Gauteng, Wedela (Carltonville) is working to restore community trust after failures in the justice system, while Orange Farm is addressing behavioural patterns that fuel violence through dialogue. In the Northwest, school violence linked to gangsterism is being tackled in Rustenburg, and in the Western Cape NGOs are being mobilised against rising crime and killings.

The programme emphasises the role of traditional leaders, elders, and faith-based authorities alongside government and NGOs. This Heritage Day, Khulisa Social Solutions reminds South Africans that mediation is not a new practice — it draws on longstanding traditions of dialogue, Ubuntu, and community solidarity. By integrating these cultural legacies into modern peacebuilding, grassroots mediators continue a heritage of conflict resolution that has maintained communities for generations.

While progress has been significant, participants identified several challenges, including limited time, resource constraints, and the need for ongoing mentorship. These are being addressed through structured mentoring and supervision, follow-up visits by international experts later this year, and the creation of a national knowledge base of community mediation case studies. Building local coalitions will ensure sustainability, with an expanded programme planned for 2026.

These findings demonstrate that communities are prepared and able to resolve conflict when provided with the appropriate tools, “said Lesley Ann van Selm, Managing Director of Khulisa Social Solutions. “By investing in grassroots mediation, South Africa can cut the high costs of violence while fostering trust, cohesion, and resilience from the ground up.”