Masama braces for Molelo wa Mariga festival
Koketso Kgoboge | Wednesday August 26, 2015 17:06
The festival, which is a family event, is scheduled to begin Saturday morning and go on until late evening. Molelo wa Mariga is aimed at resuscitating and promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation for the diverse Setswana culture.
Molelo wa Mariga event coordinator, Floyd Kealotswe, explained that the intention is to make Molelo wa Mariga an annual event.
“This event is multi-cultural so we encourage all Batswana from all corners of the country to converge here and celebrate our tradition under the open sky. This is just the beginning, and we have plans to attract as many cultures as possible and for those we will not be able to reach now, we will include in the future as this event is planned to be annual,” Kealotswe said.
He said Masama Lodge prides itself in having small wild animals, which regularly attract tourists. He said they want to expose Setswana culture not only to Batswana, but also to the visiting tourists.
Kealotswe said, apart from the diverse Setswana dishes, patrons would be treated to traditional brew. He also said the festival will have a number of performances by various traditional groups and that there will be a fantastic prize for a person with the best traditional attire.
“The emphasis will be purely on tradition hence our line-up, which boasts of only traditional musicians. We will be having Dikakapa, Culture Spears, Gong Master, Diphotsana, Dipetsana, Mmantshwabisi, Caspper and Makwakwa who will be entertaining us in the evening. Khama Rhino Sanctuary has also sponsored us with a game drive voucher, which will be awarded to the best dressed in traditional attire and this is simply to encourage patrons to embrace culture,” Kealotswe said.
He explained that there will be business stalls showcasing traditional artifacts and traditional foods during the day and late evening there will be bonfires and entertainment from local artists.
Tickets for the event are on sale at Boiteko Mall, Old Serowe Mall, LEA offices across the country, the culture offices, and Masama Lodge and campsite.
He said all traditional foods will be bought locally from farmers and retail outlets, as the main objective is to make a great impact for both farming and tourism interacting.