The best of Maun showcase set for August
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday July 13, 2018 13:54
The event will be held from August 6 to 11, 2018 at different destinations around Maun with the main one being Maun Stadium. Maun is the jump-off point for the vast inland Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush wildlife habitat during the seasonal floods.
In the delta, safari camps dot the Moremi Game Reserve, which is home to hippos, lions and rhinos. In the town, the Nhabe Museum features local art, plus history and culture exhibits about the surrounding Ngamiland region.
The festival, under the theme, ‘Promotion for Sustainable Economic Development Towards Vision 2036 and Beyond’, will be hosted by Ghetto Urban Design. The purpose to promote ecosystem functions and biological diversity in animals and plants as an economic resource providing life-supporting services, economic and economic resilience. The organisaton’s managing director, Vincent Sebati told Arts & Culture that the event was organised on the realisation that little was being done to sell their heritage sites which are Okavango Delta 1000 Heritage Site and Tsodilo Hills to both the public and beyond local boards. “This festival will demonstrate the fact that World Heritage Sites belong to all the people of the world irrespective of the territory in which they are located.
“This is to market and promote our heritage sites and also to increase the visibility of your brand. We have decided to engage representatives from 23 countries which have embassies in Botswana so that they can also sell their cultures to the general public,” he said.
Sebati said the six-day event will be focusing on five categories namely; food, music and dance, arts and crafts, fashion and photography.
The day will kick start with an official opening that would be held at Maun Stadium on August 6, 2018 officiated by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and , Tshekedi Khama. Sebati said on the second day, they would be having an official tour to the Okavango Delta, which would be taken along the riverbank. On the third day, that is August 8, 2018, they would be having Arts and Crafts Expo at Mhabe Museum where artists and photographers from different countries will be showcasing their work. Entrance fee will be P50.
The following day will be a Fashion show at Potential Garden in Maun where fashion designers from the 23 countries will be showcasing their garments. Entrance fee will be P150.
On August 10, 2018 there will be a Food Expo where different chefs from the participating countries will be showcasing their cultural cuisines. Tickets for the food expo cost P200 and the public is urged to come in large numbers to taste foods from other cultures. The event will be ended with a music festival that will be held at Maun Stadium the following day.
The famous Maun-born guitarist and traditional singer, Stika Sola, different dikhwaere groups and some of the President’s Day Competitions winners will showcase their talents at the event. “The main reasons we opted to include President’s Day singers in our schedule is because we want to give them exposure and an opportunity to work with international artists,” he said. He said they were expecting different dignitaries from neighbouring countries such as Namibia, South Africa and others to officiate these events.