Bushfire Festival: Where Africa meets

| Friday June 7, 2013 00:00

All roads led to the Kingdom of Swaziland last weekend for the annual Bushfire Festival, which has put the monarchy on the map. After attending the fest for the first time last year (2012), there was no way I could miss the latest edition.

The festival has found a special place in my heart. It is now my annual musical pilgrimage.An avid believer that good things should be shared, I roped in a colleague, Kutlwano Mosime, for the road trip. We joined the rest of the Bushfire fanatics who trekked to Mbabane for a weekend away of music, fun and social interactions.

We left Gaborone on Friday morning on an uncertain journey that was not planned beyond Johannesburg.However, it became an adventure that took us to the famous Nelson Mandela Square before eventually catching our last minute ride to Mbabane.

Apart from missing a turn or two and ending up on a gravel road that took us back to square one, the road trip was worth it. Just A few kilometers away from the South African Oshoek border post that leads into Swaziland's Ngwenya border post, an unexpected road block caught us off guard.  The police officer was a gentle soul. He just said 'Le phuza mnate heh. Hambang' with a laugh.

When we finally arrived at the venue, House on Fire, around 1am the festival was already underway. We joined the pack with some tequilla shots to celebrate the long journey.That was only the beginning. The following two days, Saturday and Sunday, were filled with fun. The Bushfire Festival did not disappoint. Anyway the name is synonymous with only good things. The fest surpassed all expectations this year. Tickets were sold out unlike last year. It had attracted a crowd of about 20,000 people, mostly from outside Africa.

The Bushfire Festival is a brand that gets people flying from countries such as the USA, China and UK to become part of it. Batswana, South Africans, Mozambicans and Basotho, among other African nations, attended the festival. Boasting of a paradise-like setting on an open field with a breathtaking view of the Malkerns Mountains, the theme for the whole weekend revolved around listening to music, fashion parades, socialising and just enjoying naps at regular intervals on the lawn. A total of over 40 artists took to the House on Fire stage with excellent performances. All the acts were from Africa, save for only a few artists from countries such as Spain, Reunion Islands and Colombia.

The only disappointment at the festival was the media centre, which was not designed to suit the demands of journalists. An ideal media centre would have been equipped around the clock with computers and Internet.The highlight came on Saturday when we met other journalists from Botswana.  We partied up a storm until Sunday evening. Eventually all good things come to an end.

Fortunately, the crowd that came to party had brought its fire and used it properly. No fatalities were recorded for the weekend long event. Batswana can learn a thing or two from that.The Monday journey back home was a quiet affair through a minibus infamously known as Laela Mmaago (bid your mother farewell) from Joburg to Gaborone.

The vehicle lived up to its name as it was almost literally flying on the road. The driver couldn't care less that the passengers were gripped with fear.