Intervarsity games embrace culture
Spira Tlhankane | Monday March 16, 2015 14:13
On Thursday the University of Botswana Culture, Sports and Recreation hosted Culture Day. Different nations had the chance to showcase their culture through food, music, dance, attire, art and language. The culture assimilation event was held under the theme ‘We Are One, Come Share And Experience The One Thing That Defines Who We Are’.
The social extravaganza started with a classic Dikgafela performance by Bakgatla Baa Manaana followed by UB Domestic services.
To signify the compatibility of traditional clothing each nation, women from Lesotho, Swaziland and Botswana paraded around with their finery and cultural clothing. The social event got even better when students from the National University of Lesotho graced the stage with their three native dances being mohobelo, litolobonya and mokhibo.
Stongana Boys, UB International students, and CIUB, performed next, bringing out the natural harmonies of the different nations to indicate a common heritage in one habitat.
Students from University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Sibhaca, Ummiso, Thew’kela, Ingadla and Sizingili followed thereafter with their uplifting and empowering dance. To top it all, other students from various nations like India, Zambia and Nigeria also graced the stage to express the identity of each of their cultures and unified the experience.
Among the performers for the day was Botswana‘s renowned folklore genius Ntirelang Berman who ignited the crowd with his singing and acoustic guitar.
The social value and meaning of the event could not have been elaborated without the cultural significance of food. After all the music and dance, all roads led to the Combo Cuisine for the food tasting.
Different dishes from various nations were available for tasting and people were excited at the prospect of eating the food they have never encountered before.
From the Nigerian table, they had akara, moimoi, egusi, chin chin and eba while DRC had matembele, riz, pomdu, madesu and haricot.
At the Malawi table they served chambo fish, mandasi, zitumbuwa, bambara beans and okra sauce while the Zambian food included chibwabwa and lumanda.
Lesotho served butternut and nyekoe while Botswana served contemporary Setswana dishes such as curried mogodu, seswaa cottage pie, morogo wa dinawa, logala, dikgobe, phane, ditloo and traditional pap.
One of the event organisers, Kushatha Thapisa said the main purpose of the event was to create unity, incorporate culture, and provide a platform for the students to network.
“The three nations used to be one campus and this is a social event, which is meant to keep this unity,” she said.
She added that through the event the students would exchange culture and appreciate their difference.
UB Culture Sports and Recreation, UB domestic services, UB Wildlife and Environmental Club, Libya High Commission and the UB Living and Learning communities, arranged the event.
Among the dignitaries who graced the event were High Commissioner of India Hemalata C. Bhagirath and Kgosi Mosielele of Moshupa.