Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Writer
All is set for the Luswingo Kalanga Cultural Festival with organisers expecting a memorable revival of the cultural celebration.
After a two-year hiatus, all roads lead to Bulilima tomorrow as the festival returns to the traditional venue, Luswingo site in Tokwana, Plumtree.
In its sixth edition, the event is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich culture of the BaKalanga people.
A stellar line-up is set to grace the occasion, including performances by Black Umfolosi, Bukalanga Express, Izingonyama Sounds (Ezokutabhayila), Tjinyebenyebe, Magalila Ngoti, and Jongo Tokwana Great Sounds.
Difa WaJapi Dube, the festival’s media liaison officer, expressed confidence that everything is on track for a successful event.
“We recently held a pre-show at Dingumuzi Stadium in Plumtree as a way of fundraising for the event, and it went very well. Now, all eyes are on the big day. Some people coming from the diaspora, like me, have already arrived in the country, and we expect the gathering to be a big success,” said Dube.
Bulilima Constituency legislator Dingimuzi Phuti has pledged a cow to ensure attendees are well-fed, ready to dance, and fully enjoy the festivities.
The festival, which started in 2014, is held at the Luswingo heritage site in Tokwana, which is located 36 kilometres north of Plumtree town. Luswingo, which means stone walls, is a historical place that was once the home of a royal family and a strategic settlement of BaKalanga in Bulilima. The site exhibits the architectural and engineering skills of the early civilisation, and is valued in the Kalanga history.
The festival attracts thousands of people who gather at the site to share historical stories, showcase traditional artefacts and display their talents in dance and song, among other things. The festival also features historians who narrate the folklore and history of BaKalanga and schools that participate in cultural activities and competitions. The festival also offers a walk around the site and the nearby river Thekwane, which is also known as Netu. – @mthabisi_mthire
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