Ga Mmabesi cultural festival to benefit residents
Olefile Serokolo | Wednesday August 30, 2017 16:37
The theme of the festival is ‘Segarona’.
Media liaison and entertainment personnel for the event, Evans Kesiilwe said the festival would benefit residents of Serowe and surrounding areas through a display and sale of artifacts.
“Other people from outside Serowe will also be attending the event. They will use lodges and hotels in the village, which will benefit residents who run the facilities. Other business people such as public transport operators and vendors will also benefit as their services will also be needed during the event.”
Kesiilwe further said the aim of the event is to help preserve the culture of Bangwato and as well as boosting economic activity in the village. He also said that it would act as an initiative to boost tourism in the village.
He noted that the ultimate goal is to make it an annual event. Kesiilwe disclosed that they have encountered some challenges in preparation for the festival such as financial difficulties.
“We have limited funds to market and advertise our event so that we attract a notable number of participants. We are trying our best to market the event but we need more support from the private sector and other stakeholders,” he said.
The event dress code is traditional attire and at the end of the day the best-dressed individual will receive an award.
There will also be a variety of traditional meals and people will be given recipes of how to cook the various food items on display. Various items depicting the life style of Bangwato will also be showcased at the event.
He said the whole aim is to create a day full of fun and cultural activities that will help Batswana better understand their norms and practices.
Queen Mother of the Royal Bafokeng, Dr Semane Bonolo Molotlegi and some representatives from the Bangwato Tribal Administration will be among a list of guests expected to grace the event. The event will also be punctuated by various traditional music genres such as dikhwaere, borankana jwa Mmangwato, setapa, tsutsube, polka, phathisi among others.