Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
THE rescheduled Matabeleland Cultural Awards (MCA) are set to take place on October 29 at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo.
This is a change of venue from the initial Amakhosi Township Square.
The awards that were established in 2019 and have been an annual fixture, celebrating cultural diversity, honouring artists and creatives for their excellence in diverse fields as well as uplifting them, almost failed to take place.
This year’s edition was looking at the barrel of postponement or cancellation through financial constraints that the organisers faced earlier this year.
In an interview, MCA’s chief executive Philani Ncube thanked sponsors for coming through and said this year’s instalment will go ahead as planned since an improvement in fortunes was recorded.
“This year’s awards almost flopped, but through a collective effort from our sponsors who came to the rescue, the awards are on.
We greatly appreciate their support and appeal to members of the public to come in their numbers to support the awards as they’re important to our cultural players who need recognition,” said Ncube.
This year’s awards will be held under the theme, “For the renaissance and sustenance of our culture” and will see people donning traditional apparel.
Bulawayo has been touted as the country’s cultural hub and MCA22 will honour Umkhathi Theatre Works and veteran poet, Nqindi.
Creatives involved in traditional song and dance, regalia design, food, indigenous language authors, rural hut painters, weavers, potters, and poets among others will come out to play at the awards ceremony.
MCA organisers have been instrumental in celebrating culture as they are the ones who were responsible for organising the Umthwentwe International Cultural Expo which took place in June at the late Cont Mhlanga’s Amakhosi Township Square. – @eMKlass_49
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