15 Oct 2025

 Funding remains a magic spell in growing the arts fraternity and grooming talent.

Following the finals of the Association of Botswana Schools Performing Arts (ABOSPA) National Arts competitions in Mmopane recently, president of ABOSPA, Gobuamang Bakwena said the competition catered for choral, theatre, dance, backtrack, marimba and contemporary music.

Bakwena said the finals saw the young and elderly showing their artistic prowess, an effective strategy as it helped the youngsters to gain experience directly from the veterans. He said ABOSPA’s mandate was to coordinate performing arts activities in all schools; private and government.

In the choral category, University of Botswana (UB) did not struggle to claim the crown while Gaborone University College (GUC) dazzled the crowd to claim two crowns, for theater and band.

In the backtrack category Antho Ofitlhile of UB got first position while Regent School from Molepolole scooped the title for marimba category. Ngami Junior Secondary School from Sehithwa won the traditional dance title after mesmerising the crowd and judges with tsutsube dance.

In poetry category Kutlo Simane of UB walked tall with the crown. All title holders won P1,500 whereas the second and third placed performers pocketed P1,000 and P750 respectively.

Bakwena said the event was a success despite most schools failing to attend because of lack funds for meals, transport and other logistics.

The coach for Ngami JSS, Maano Kagiso who is also a Business Studies teacher said lack of funds did not deter them to travel all the way from Sehithwa to Mmopane.

He said personal funding and the school management covered all expenses for the students, adding that it was important to encourage the youth to fully engage in extra curricula activities such as arts, as some would in future use it to improve their livelihoods.

Kagiso pleaded with the business community and other philanthropic individuals to invest more in arts and cultural activities as they could help create income for the performers. ENDS