09 Dec 2014

Enthusiasts of the San and Khoe culture were this past weekend spoiled for choice as various cultural groups in the Kgalagadi and Ghanzi region descended in Kang to showcase their cultural heritage through dance and song during the Western Kgalagadi Cultural festival.

Dances and chants were the most favoured means of communicating with the bygones and with nature among the traditional Khoe and San within the Western Kgalagadi Corridor. Traditionally, Khoe and San spirituality and life were regimented by animism and their spirituality was premised on the belief that nature was home and that they were intrinsically part of nature. 

The land where they hunt and gather is venerated like deity, inanimate things such as trees are made animate and some are even feared or venerated. When the San perform certain activities such as hunting or gathering, they first converse with the spirits in the air, on earth, in the water, in animals and in the fruits. 

With this rich San culture dying a slow natural death, there could not be a much more appropriate way to reminisce and reflect on the San cultural heritage than in songs and dances as they were the order of the day during the Western Kgalagadi Cultural Association (WKCA) festival.

The annual two day cultural festival is now in its third year running and it has grown in leaps and bounds as compared to its debutant year. All the festivities at the WKCA festival kick started on Friday with the traditional healing dance, which is performed for various reasons such as foretelling of the future, intercession for good hunting and gathering seasons but it is predominately performed for ailing human beings.

In the healing dance category, Xalawa traditional dance from Bere had the audience eating from the palm of their hand with a breath taking performance which bared cleared testimony of the ancient way of human healing in the San culture. 

During their performance, the group demonstrated all the important factors that need to be taken in to consideration for this sacred activity.

Their performance featured among other things excellent utilsation of the performance stage which in modern healing could be equivalent to a doctors consultation room.

They clearly illustrated that certain taboos are prohibited in the performance space because of its sacredness. 

Based on their performance, it was clear that recently bereaved members of the community may not attend the ritual and foul language and bad behavior are also prohibited.

Another performance that left the audience calling more was the hunting and gathering dance performed by the Inalegolo traditional dance group. 

The two times Sir Seretse Khama day competitions winners painted a vivid picture that hunting and gathering are their life mainstay.

Through their performance, the group illustrated that hunting and gathering are done in an organised manner while at the same time respecting territoriality. 

They demonstrated the entire hunting process, all the way from the animal tracking to the killing of the beast. 

Their performance was often accompanied by spontaneous singing which is the onset of a fully-fledged dancing session throughout the good part of the hunt.

The dance ended up in trances where the hunter continued making gestures that showed that he is in converse with the spirit of the animal he has slaughtered.

Meanwhile speaking during the official opening of the festival, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Department of Information and Broadcasting service, Mr Mogomotsi Kaboeamodimo urged the performing groups to find ways to commercialise their music and establish recording deals.

He applauded the organisers of the event for their efforts to resuscitate the San culture and urged them to go an extra-mile in securing sponsorship for performing groups.

Mr Kaboeamodimo highlighted that he was hopeful that the cultural village which was proposed to be built in Phuduhudu would upon its completion be a cultural product that would increase tourism flow to the Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor.

He said Kgalagadi was an untapped tourism destination with great tourism opportunities that ranged from game drives and land scape viewing.

He therefore, encouraged the local communities along the Trans- Kgalagadi corridor to identify possible eco-tourism projects that could sustain their livelihoods on daily basis. ENDS