The Sunday News
Senior Leisure Reporter
BULAWAYO will play host to the national Culture Week launch that will be held on Saturday at the Large City Hall with thousands of people expected to grace the event that seeks to celebrate cultural diversity. The Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa, told Sunday Leisure that he would be launching the national Culture Week in the city from where it would be taken to Matabeleland South’s Insiza district.
“I will be launching the national Culture Week at the Large City Hall in Bulawayo on 17 May so all provinces will be gathered there to witness the event and we are expecting thousands of people,” said Langa.
This year’s commemorations will run under the theme “Promoting Cultural Diversity and Inclusion.”
Langa said the event was in line with its theme and expected to draw people from diverse cultural backgrounds as it aims at integrating and bringing the rich cultures that the country boasts of. He said the country was one that celebrates cultural diversity and was accommodative to all ethnic groups.
After the national launch the event will move to Avoca’s Ward 12 in Insiza at Maduna Hall on 23 May where a number of activities have been lined-up.
Member of Parliament for Insiza South Malaki Nkomo said the event would be characterised by various showcases of traditional attire, food, buildings and dance.
“We will have a lot on offer. We want people to have an appreciation of what used to happen back in the day in terms of forms of shelter, food, dance and many more. So it will be a huge day,” said Nkomo.
He said it would be particularly interesting for the youths who never experienced life in the rural and traditional set-up and urged them to attend the celebrations in their numbers to witness the events that would take place.
The organisers, according to Nkomo, had put up a temporary museum where artifacts from the past would be exhibited.
“Preparations for the day are in full swing as we speak. It is a big day for us. We have built mud huts from the past and visitors will get a feel of the way of life from decades ago,” he said.
Nkomo said Matabeleland South Province will slaughter 23 cattle and 100 goats to feed people who would grace the event. He added that the people of Matabeleland South, especially from KoGodlwayo as Filabusi in known, are known to be huge eaters of meat. As such, he said, they would feed delegates with a lot of meat and drink.
The event is also expected to be attended by all chiefs and traditional leaders from Matabeleland South.
According to a statement released by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe communications and marketing officer, Catherine Mthombeni activities during Culture Week would be depicting different ubuntu/unhu and that instils pride.
“The week long programme will be punctuated by diverse activities that depict our varied unhu/ubuntu as well as cultivate in us a sense of belonging, hence instilling pride,” she said.
Some of the activities lined up for the official launch include street marching by artistes and cultural activists, fashion shows, music and dance performances, art and craft exhibitions and herbal medicine exhibitions.
