05 Jan 2017

In the tiny and little known village of Mabele in the Chobe district, there is a youthful and bubbly dance group called Vhakwala

Only just two years old, Vhakwala Traditional Dance Group is today a force to reckon with in many respects within the district .

When their peers are worried by being labeled bad youth who abuse alcohol and drugs, this group is busy contributing towards the preservation and promotion of the Sesubiya traditional dance.  

 Motivated by the need to promote the Seperu dance, the performers have become a common feature in the Constituency Arts Competition and were crowned the 2016 champions in the district. 

For most performing artists, the first pay cheque is seen as a time for the members to reward themselves for their efforts and sacrifices, but for the Vhakwala that was not the case.

They used their first earnings from the constituency competitions to get themselves attire, thereby giving the group leverage and motivation to even perform better.   

The question might be what is next? The group's chairperson, 30-year-old Kedirilwe Mathula said that these youngsters have big dreams.

“We are now planning to establish a business that will help generate income as most of us are unemployed,” said Mathula
She said that determination and hard work had brought them this far, so she is optimistic that they will be able to succeed in their future endeavours.   

Mathula further shared that the Department of Social and Community Development (S&CD) in the village had been instrumental in helping the group with the market they needed by entertaining tourists in hotels and lodges in Kasane.

Margaret Chana, an elder in the village, is one of the people whose efforts have not gone unnoticed as she has dedicated her time to coaching the group in Seperu.

A Kasane- based traditional group, Tse Tilodi, which is famous for giving birth to the famous Culture Spears, also mentors Vhakwala dikhwaere and Tsutsube.

But as can be expected, the group has a number of challenges, top of the list being shortage of transport, which makes honouring invitations a problem.

However, the group has not been deterred as they always put their heads together and find a solution to the challenges. ENDS