29 Mar 2016

Kgosi Rapelang Khuwe of Marobela says cultural activities give the young generation an opportunity to learn and appreciate culture.

Speaking at the Zhizha culture and music festival on Saturday at Kuminda farm near Marobela, Kgosi Khuwe said Batswana need to revive their culture by celebrating and renewing some aspects that have faded away as a result of modernity.

He said while there were some people who value and respect culture at all times, the younger generation attach no importance to it. The traditional leader added that many would rather celebrate or copy other nations’ cultures.
He appealed to elders to ensure that Setswana culture, despite being different across tribes, was preserved

He pointed out that preserving culture would give the young generation a foundation about their background.
The host for the festival, Lucy Hinchliffe said she started the cultural celebrations for zhizha in 2012, and that four years later the event has grown to attract more groups who come to showcase their cultures.

Hinchliffe noted that when they started they had about 50 attendants and that although they made losses, she made it a point of making the event an annual activity with the aim of celebrating culture and traditional music.
She said for the past four years, the festival has grown to the extent of attracting different performers even from overseas.

She added that this year there was an Irish performer. She said some groups came from as far as Qangwa in Okavango who performed their traditional healing dance.

Traditional food from across different tribes in the country was also prepared at the festival which attracted hundreds of people across the country. Ends