A splendour night of the First People of Xere
Friday, August 30, 2024 | 290 Views |
Xere cultural festival PICS: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
This past weekend, the Xere Cultural festival provided an opportunity for attendees to immerse themselves in the splendour night of the first people of Xere performance, writes NNASARATHA KGAMANYANE
Xere village, located about 45km away from Rakops and a stone throw away from the Xere Guest House, this year attracted a large number of patrons from as far as Gaborone. It was the second edition of the Xere Cultural Festival which was first held around the same time last year. The event gave attendees a glimpse of the Sesarwa culture. Amongst the memorable events included A Night of The First People traditional dance and song showcased by Xere Dance Group, made of the youth of Xere. The group’s dance showcase was coordinated by one of the very talented local choreographers, Andrew Kola, who is the director and founder of Mophato Dance Crew. In an evening event, the Xere Dance Group kick-started their showcase in an intimate setup with dimmed lights giving the whole set a perfect moment. The dancers kick-started the show by making the fire with just wood like how they used to do it in the past. In an absorbing scene, they danced around the fire before showcasing how young women would go into the wilderness to pick up fruits. In that showcase, a young woman got her first mernache and panicked.
It highlights the need to protect rights such as access to clean water, education, healthcare and freedom of expression.President Duma Boko, rightly honours past interventions from securing a dignified burial for Gaoberekwe Pitseng in the CKGR to promoting linguistic inclusion. Yet, they also expose a critical truth, that a nation cannot sustainably protect its people through ad hoc acts of compassion alone.It is time for both government and the...