Tibanhu bongompela (singabantu banye) this was seen by the gathering of huge crowds in Kotistshi in Plumtree to learn about the culture of the Kalanga people. This year’s festival was organised by Felix Silundika the son of the late George Silundika.
The tivhakalanga cultural festival aimed at reviving Ubuntu amongst the people as well as preserving the Kalanga culture saw scores of people from different parts of the country and different tribes gathering together in Plumtree to exhibit as well as to learn about the Kalanga culture. From the food, to the home made brew people indulged themselves and learn a lot about the Kalanga culture.
The aim of the festival is to deepen the knowledge of the Tjikalanga in terms of language, the culture, customs, practices and belief as well as its social economic and political heritage. Tales were told on the history of the Kalanga tribe, and this saw dancers from different tribes such as the Venda showcasing their culture as well through dancing.
An exhibition of Tjikalanga attires was the order of the day as women and young girls as well as men were clad in their African wear leaving many green with envy and looking forward to the next festival.
Preserving culture is an important thing and teaching the coming generations of what used to happen in the past periods, In this festival this was achieved through educational tours around the area from various exhibitions. Preserving Culture is seen as a great way of teaching the younger generation a great inheritance to hold on to. The Kalanga people comprise of a huge population in Zimbabwe and many come from plumtree and their culture is unique and carries a great message of how they live and how the people communicate in the society.
Article By
Brighton Ncube
