15 May 2016

Cresta Riley’s Hotel in Maun has promised to deliver a bigger and better Ngamiland annual food festival penciled for May 29. The event, aimed at promoting the North West culture and tourism, would also gratify attendants with traditional cuisine found in the district.

Cresta Riley’s Hotel sales manager, Wame Masike, said the event came at the right time when the region was experiencing a peak period in the tourism sector.This would provide an opportunity for tourists to familiarise themselves with Setswana culture and taste the country’s traditional dishes, she said in an interview recently.

Masike also stated that they had engaged sponsors of the event such as Botswana Meat Commission, which promised to assist with other traditional food. Segwana and Youth Development Fund also promised to be the sponsors, she noted.

Over the past years, she said, the event saw people coming from as far as Francistown and Gaborone adding that the event will be graced by dignitaries including Kgosi Kealetile Moremi of Batawana who will be the guest speaker. She appealed to Batswana to attend in large numbers wearing traditional attire.

As the event grows from strength to strength, Masike said it will sponsor local people to showcase their products and talents by providing them with stalls.For his part, Riley’s manager Ngonidzashe Shumba, said they hosted the festival to encourage Maun communities to showcase their culture through attire, food and dance.

Shumba also said they aimed at teaching people to eat proper diet to avoid diseases such as high blood pressure and sugar diabetes.  Tickets for the event will cost P120 per person, P180 for couples and P60 for children. ENDS