11 Sep 2016

Ghanzi Meat Fest is not a quick buck scheme, but  a means to celebrate treasure of the Ghanzi region, according to organiser of Ghanzi Meat Fest, Greg Losibe.

The fest was meant to celebrate Ghanzi meat, promote farming as a profession and brand the area as a meat hub.

Consequently, he  said they drew up a 10-year strategy that guided them.

 Briefing the press recently, Losibe said the event would be on its fourth year running and would be held on September 30 to October 2.

“September 30 we will be hosting the Miss Ghanzi Meat, October 1 is the main event and on October 2 it is the jazzy meat,” he said.

 Losibe indicated that on the main event, Badisa competitions would still be there and these competitions involved skills that normally practiced at the farms. 

 “Skinning (go buwa), dislocation of joints (go lokolola), scrubbing of hooves (go karapa) and cooking seswaa,” he said, adding that last year they added other two activities; traditional fire making and target shooting which would also be available.

 He said the whole idea behind the competitions was to eventually have them registered as sport codes. 

Losibe said the competitions had over time proved to be the favourite amongst the  community. 

He said the main event would give revelers the taste of Ghanzi meat as the region had unique recipes and meat processing methods. 

Losibe on one hand criticised promoters who copied other people’s original concepts and implemented them without first trying to understand them.

 He said it was worrying that people did not look at their environment, which they could use to come up with new concepts. 

 “I mean what is wrong with celebrating things that are in abundance in your own area instead of copying what other people are doing and in turn not do them right,” he said.

He further said it was also worrying that some media publications seemed to concentrate on the negatives instead of helping them promote the positives.  

 Losibe indicated that tickets for the three-day event single cost P165, couple tickets were P250 and people would not be buying meat when they get inside. 

“The only thing people will pay for is phaletshe and drinks,” he said, indicating that the meat would be in braai, biltong, pounded dry meat, seswaa, boervors, fried meat and stew.

He said meat lovers would have the chance to eat meat from over 10 types of animals amongst them beef, goat, sheep, springbok, wildebeest, pork, antelope and gemsbok and all. 

 The different meats will be prepared in two or more dishes. “People should bring their camp chairs and they will eat as much meat as they want.’’ 

 Re tla a Bo re Shaba nama ka phaletshe,” said Losibe. 

Speaking on accommodation in Ghanzi, Losibe said they had arrangements with a couple of lodging places that could help people with accommodation.

Losibe said his team intended to share the proceeds of this annual event with the community by buying toys and games for boarding  pupils in Kuke, Dekar, New Xade and Xanagas through the Save-A-Child initiative. ENDS