The Sunday News
Bhekumuzi Ncube, Sunday Life Reporter
THE Amagugu International Heritage Centre (AIHC) will host the Matopo Festival on 31 July.
The festival will include traditional dances, music and games under the theme of enhancing awareness of indigenous cultural heritage.
The programmes manager of the centre, Butholezwe Kgosi Nyathi, said the festival is aimed at educating students from schools and tertiary institutions about African heritage.
“The festival is designed primarily for institutions of learning. The desire is to be an educational festival, and we want to be responsive to the demands of the new education curriculum. We are rural based enterprises and our aim is to promote rural based talents and preserve various cultural heritage elements in Matopo, which have been marginalised by contemporary setups which undermine the importance of traditional culture,” he said.
Nyathi added that there will be an opportunity to visit the Njelele shrine keeper who will give information about the mysterious shrine in Zimbabwe where ordinary people are forbidden to enter.
“The festival will not violate the restrictions of the Njelele shrine but will create an opportunity for people to interact with the keeper of the shrine. The custodian of the shrine will define and describe the symbolism of every feature of the Njelele shrine,” he added.
Nyathi said from 31 July to 4 August the festival will concentrate on the standard programming activities namely traditional court simulation, folktales, storytelling, craft exhibitions, mountain climbing, nature walk, village walk, eco-fashion exhibition and braai on the rocks.
“On the opening day of the ceremony, craft exhibition will feature a new range of basketry products by Matopo artisans following an intensive design and production mentorship support programme. On 3 August there will be a weaving activity that will be held in Bulawayo at the National Art Gallery which will be the only programme held outside Bulawayo,” said Nyathi.
Nyathi urged people from Bulawayo and Matopo to come and witness the participation of Matopo artistes and villagers demonstrating their talents in traditional music and dance.
“People should come and witness a unique festival that will be backed by cultural artistes. On 5 August we will invite contemporary groups such as the Djembe monks and Drums of peace to perform. We also have Nobuntu performing alongside Sunduza in a collaborative Imbube act,” he added.
