First Khawa Dune Challenge post Khama
Staff Writer | Friday May 11, 2018 14:28
Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC), Kgalagadi District Council and Botswana Motor Sport (BMS) is hosting the event that officially starts today in Khawa, a village approximately 167 km southwest of Tsabong in the Kgalagadi District.
The event will feature Motor & Quad bike challenge, fun Camel rides, 4x4 Dune challenge, helicopter rides (scenic viewing) cultural performances and exhibitions (sale of arts and crafts). Other activities will include soccer, dodge ball, netball, sand dune racing, sand boarding, motor bike stunts, contemporary festival, tug of war and Polka.
Before his tenure ended, Khama assured Khawa residents that the Khawa Dune Challenge will continue even after his departure. Khama promised that he would continue to feature in the annual festival.
The event gained popularity during Khama’s reign and he participated in and won most of the competitions. Khama even publicly said he hoped his successor Mokgweetsi Masisi would not abandon the event because it served as one of community activities that the country could tap into to promote its tourism sector. It remains to be seen whether Masisi himself will grace the event.
As a cultural tourism event, the Khawa cultural festival is part of an effort to diversify the tourism product offered during the Dune challenge in terms of providing entertainment and running exhibitions alongside the other activities.
The cultural festival objectives amongst others are to provide full community participation through their music and dance, enhance cultural exchange and provide commercial space for the Khawa community to sell their cultural goods, products and services.