03 Jul 2017

The Baikopanyi Choir Association has pleaded with Kgatleng District councillors to help them build the association.

Briefing councillors about their association during a council session recently, the chairperson of the association, Bathusi Gouwe said their association was an umbrella body of Dikopelo tsa Kgatleng and that it was registered with the Department of Civil Registration under the Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs.

Gouwe said the association came into being after bogosi, the district commissioner and police in Kgatleng realised the need of establishing such an association, adding that every choir was standing on its own without coordination from any central power.

He said as an umbrella of dikopelo their primary mandate was to coordinate choirs, noting that there were over 70 choirs spread over the 22 villages of Kgatleng.

He noted that since its establishment in 2000 and its registration with the Department of Civil Registration in 2008, the association has had a contribution to society through song and dance.

Gouwe said some of the contributions they did was to raise funds for the construction of the Mochudi main kgotla, and that it has mobilised members to raise funds towards the coronation of Kgosikgolo Kgafela.

He also added that they promote gender equality by encouraging and motivating female artistes to compete with their male counterparts.

He said the association has helped to disseminate messages through song and dance towards road safety, PMTCT and Boifa bojalwa campaign.

However, Gouwe said the association has faced challenges and that some challenges were persisting.

He noted that each choir had its own ground at the lands, but that masimo usage in the land board act was only for agricultural purposes.

”Choirs cannot be allocated land for dikopelo purposes at the lands though we all know that dikopelo during the festive season is at the lands. We hope after this interaction with this house will hopefully find a common ground to see how this can be sorted out for our choirs to be given land for their grounds,” said Gouwe.

Gouwe also said they have no meaningful source of income. adding that to tackle the issue choirs during the year were engaged in fundraising, adding that they do so by being hired by individuals during weekends to showcase their talent while entertaining patrons at places like bars, shebeens and others.

“But this can be done in only a few hours because mostly it is done in the village and we cannot do this the whole night, our plan is to acquire a huge chunk of land to host, and it will be used to build the stadia for any other festivals during the year”.

In conclusion the chair said they were planning to host the Kgatleng Dikopelo Cultural Festival, adding that it would be a yearly event.

He  said the idea came after they realised the talent which they had as a district when it comes to dikopelo, adding that they would be able to bring tourists and that their intention was to promote cultural exchange by inviting other choirs from other districts.

Councillors applauded the association for promoting culture.

However they advised them to look for sponsors so that they could do festivals like Dithubaruba which was celebrated in Molepolole. ENDS