adminCaunajena area of Tsholotsho.
This emerged during a recent tour of the area by culture and arts practitioners who learnt that the centre, upon completion, would serve for archiving and preserving San cultural artifacts, books as well as serving as platform for performance of San arts events and festivals.
“The idea of the culture centre came about as a result of the threat from extinction that the San culture is facing.
“The culture centre will serve as a nerve centre for the revival of San culture so that whoever is interested in learning the San culture and those who come after us will learn the ways of life of the
San,” said Christopher Dube, co-ordinator of the San community in Tsholotsho.
He said the centre would have offices, archives, a library and auditorium, among others, which will be used by the people in the area for various events including cultural festivals.
“We are keen to start arts and cultural festivals in this area with the view of promoting and preserving our culture but our greatest challenge is lack of resources, both financial and material because our area is marginalised and discriminated against.
“Another greatest challenge is that this area is often stalked by hunger and people spend most of their time trying to find ways of fending it off their doorsteps and they view art and culture events as a sheer waste of time, but in reality it is part of their life and well-being,” he said.
Efforts to raise funds for the construction of the centre started with a charity walk held in the area sometime this year but the funds raised were not enough.
The charity walk was the brainchild of culture practitioner Davy Ndlovu, who is lobbying for the recognition of the San language and culture in the area.
To show his commitment towards this goal, Ndlovu – who is the president of the Creative Arts and Educational Development Association – is currently compiling a book on the particular San language spoken in the area and now threatened with extinction.
“The San language is facing extinction and our aim is to revive it. I am currently working on a book aimed at preserving the language since there are only seven elders in Tsholotsho who speak the Sisili San language in a community of about 1 700 San people in Zimbabwe.
“I am working with students from Lupane State University to compile a dictionary on the language and also writing other books that will help people on the in-depth understanding of the San language and culture,” he said.
Ndlovu said he was working with a Botswana San language association in the project.
“So far, they (Batswana) have competed 70 percent of the project and they have invited their Zimbabwean counterparts to go to that country and learn from them,” he said.
Meanwhile, dancers took time to showcase their skills during a rain-making ceremony held at the proposed site of where the culture centre.
They performed a rain-making dance called “Iboro”, which saw two young dancers Hlonipile Tshuma and Musda Vundla dancing to songs by members of the San community who were led by Gogo Kacha.
Online Reporter