02 Sep 2016

The annual Dithubaruba cultural festival kicks off tonight at Molepolole main kgotla with oral historians telling the history and origins of Bakwena.

Bakwena from South Africa and Namibia would also share their history.

The cultural festival will continue Saturday morning with the main event at Ntsweng Heritage site, formerly Bakwena village.

It will start with Dikgafela presentation to Kgosi Kgari Sechele III of Bakwena.

Dithubaruba event was named after the last fortress of Kgosi Sebele I, a place where he repelled a commando of Boer attackers around 1852.

The event was set to take Bakwena through their cultural norms and historical origin and the rough patch the tribe went through during the Boer wars and other

Tswana speaking tribes and foster development through cultural diversity.

According to one of the organisers’ Power Kawina, the festival will be characterised by activities such as traditional dance and song, poetry, drama, traditional meal and attire while handicrafts will be displayed and sold during the event.

This year, the festival would celebrated under the theme: Maropeng go a boelwa an encouragement to all Bakwena to learn from their past to improve their current lives.

Apart from festivities, the event would also promote cultural tourism in the district with a view to contributing to the upliftment of socio-economic development of Bakwena communities and invigorate active participation in management and conservation of local heritage sites found in the region.

The event, which would on its tenth year, kicked off the week with a number of activities such as fun walk to Dithubaruba area, a symposium, and will also see Bakwena dignitaries from across the boarders such as from South Africa and Namibia gracing the event which will end Sunday. ENDS