Online Reporter
George Maponga in CHIREDZI
The rendezvous was Rusununguko Clinic in Chiredzi East, with the setting being the National Culture Month launch headlined by President Mnangagwa with Zimbabwe’s rich cultural diversity on full display.
Zimbabwe’s National Culture Month celebrations reached a crescendo on Thursday in Chief Tshovani’s area in the Shangaan rural heartland, where the tribe’s rich culture and traditions were on display and served as windows through which the country paused to celebrate and revel in its proud history and cultural traditions that help shape the national identity.
Zimbabweans from all walks of life and all ages descended on Rusununguko Clinic, where they climbed on the pedestal of their cultural diversity and jointly showcased the country’s rich cultural heritage inherited from forebears for preservation before ultimately being passed on to progeny.
President Mnangagwa and his two Vice Presidents, Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, were on hand to put a stamp on the Second Republic’s commitment to uphold and promote the country’s rich cultural heritage and also use it as an anchor of Zimbabwe’s charge into a prosperous future in unity.
Senior Government officials, including Cabinet ministers led by the Minister of Sport, Arts, Recreation and Culture Retired General Anselem Sanyatwe were also present, together with traditional leaders from across Chiredzi and beyond who were on hand to bear witness to spectacular displays and revel in the country’s rich cultural heritage in unison as one people.
Before President Mnangagwa’s arrival at the venue, the bumper crowd was entertained by various musical performances accompanied by dances that celebrated Zimbabwe’s culture.
Shangaan dance and music dominated the performances with the tribe’s performers resplendent in their traditional garb, that was a fascinating spectacle for many a visitor, stealing the show.
Indeed, Zimbabwe’s moment had arrived to once again remind the world of the full force of its cultural might.
The Shangaan male initiates, recently minted from the tribe’s annual initiation and circumcision ceremony, clad in white garb and armed with their traditional sticks, helped project the proud history of the Shangaans to the whole nation and the world.
At the exhibition stands at the venue were various artefacts on display that helped tell Zimbabwe’s full story about its diverse communities.
The exhibitions comprised traditional crafts, intricate artwork and historical items, among them beautifully woven baskets, hand-carved sculptures that displayed and reflected the rich artistic talents of cultural practices of various ethnic groups in Zimbabwe.
Traditional foods that promote a healthy lifestyle and traditional medicine were also on display, reminding the nation of the importance of retracing its rich cultural roots to find antidotes to many health challenges plaguing the majority of citizens battling chronic diseases such as cancer, hypertension, among others.
Reed mats and traditional attire were also on display, helping to explain and celebrate Zimbabwe’s rich cultural story. Attendees also had an opportunity to directly engage with the exhibitors, learning one or two lessons about Zimbabwe’s rich cultural profundity.
When President Mnangagwa toured some of the exhibition stands, he praised them for being ambassadors of the country’s rich cultural heritage, as some of the exhibitors warmly welcomed him as he admired the various cultural items.
The President was indeed left spellbound by the exhibitions, which he said spoke to the country’s rich culture and traditions that he said must be preserved and upheld for the benefit of future generations.
He reserved special praise for the Shangaan people, known for their eternal pride in their rich culture and tradition.
“Today we recognise and celebrate, in particular, rich traditions of the Shangaan people here in Chiredzi,” said President Mnangagwa as he launched the National Culture Month in Chief Tshovani’s area.
“Their (Shangaans) music, dance and craftsmanship are a source of pride and inspiration to our nation. These cultural expressions are not only a reflection of our identity but also a driver of job creation, community development and tourism.”
President Mnangagwa also zeroed in on the theme of this year’s National Culture Month, “Celebrating Indigenous Voices”, which he said was an exhortation for all Zimbabweans to recognise, respect and celebrate the contributions of all communities who, through their different languages, help shape their identity and their culture.
The President said the launch was also a platform to remind Zimbabweans to take pride in their identity as black people in general and Zimbabweans in general, with culture and traditions underpinning identity as a unique people.
By reiterating the Government’s commitment to finance establishment and expansion of culture hubs in all parts of Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa was showing the open commitment of the Second Republic to predicate the country’s national development drive on cultural renaissance.
He also said by taking the launch to the Shangaan rural heartland in Chiredzi, his Government was also deepening the solid foundations of the decentralisation and devolution agenda that is inspired by the “Leaving no one and no place behind” mantra.
President Mnangagwa also zeroed in on moral decadence in society, evidenced by invasive cultural ills such as drug and substance abuse, child pregnancies and marriages and gender-based violence, among others, noting that these problems could be obliterated by drawing waters of wisdom that are buried in the nation’s rich culture and history.
Going forward, the President noted that it is imperative to continue using the Culture Month as an opportunity to celebrate shared heritage while also recommitting to the values of peace, unity and progress in diversity for shared and inclusive growth and prosperity.
As the curtain wound down on the National Culture Month launch at Rusununguko Clinic on Thursday, it was clear that the colourful spectacle provided by the Shangaan ethnic group had once again brought to the fore the centrality of culture and heritage in defining a people and communities while also underscoring the importance of cultural diversity in weaving the basket of national unity and prosperity.
