Neshamwari Matabeleland North winners break 10-year jinx

VICTORIA Falls-based Imvimbi Traditional Dance Group has broken a 10-year jinx to win the 2023 provincial Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival it last won in 2012.

Following the win, the group is set to represent Matabeleland North at the national finals taking place next month.

Imvimbi, formed by school-going youth from Entumbane suburb in Bulawayo in 2001, relocated to Matabeleland North and established a base in Victoria Falls some years back. They have competed in several competitions since then.

At the in Hwange held at Jabulani Beerhall in Hwange on Saturday, the group performed its trademark umtshongoyo dance, a Ndau and Tshangani dance that has its origin in KwaZulu in South Africa.

Winning the provincial competition was not a new thing to Imvimbi, but the excitement of representing Matabeleland North at the national finals was written all over the group members’ faces.

Imvimbi director Blessed Chakomoka said they are now preparing for the national finals and promised that the group will finish in the top three.

“It’s been long since 2012 when we won at the provincial level. We’re looking forward to competing at the national level and look forward to winning. We want to assure our Matabeleland North fans that we’ll be in top three,” Chakomoka said.

Imvimbi is one of the top traditional dance groups in Victoria Falls. It dominated Ingwebu traditional dance competitions between 2004 and 2007 when it was still based in Bulawayo and had become annual champions.

“We’ve been to many competitions since 2003 when we competed at the Friday Live at Amakhosi Cultural Centre. We started competing in the Chibuku Neshamwari competition long back and took number one in the provincial finals in 2012. We then made the fifth position at the national finals in Harare.

“We are happy because we relocated from Bulawayo to come and work in Victoria Falls and we are growing,” he said.

After winning the provincial Chibuku Neshamwari in 2013, Imvimbi did not compete in 2013 and finished 3rd in 2014, 2nd in 2015 and 3rd in 2016. The group was number two in 2019 and finished in 3rd place last year and this year dislodged Pezhuba Pachena who were relegated to 3rd place with their Nambya Nsumbule dance.

The group derives its name from an army that is armed with heavy ammunition to protect its people and also from continuous frontal rains.

Imvimbi, a household name in Victoria Falls where the group performs at weddings, parties and other social gatherings also conducts dance, theatre, drama and music workshops as well as acting as resource persons at schools.

Only 15 of the 22-member group performed on Saturday due to the competition’s rules.

Other groups that competed are Amakhosikazi also from Victoria Falls who finished second with isitshikitsha dance, Pezhuba Pachena making number three.

The provincial finals were held outside Victoria Falls for the first time in many years as the festival’s organisers, the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dancers Association (ZNTDA) and Delta Beverages, in partnership with National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ), decided to decentralise the event.

For their efforts, the provincial winners pocketed US$2 500 while Amakhosikazi and Pezhuba Pachena got US$1 500 and US$1 000, respectively.

At the national stage, the stakes are even higher, with a total prize pool of US$32 500 awaiting the top performers. The winners will receive a remarkable US$15 000, while the second-best ensemble will be awarded US$10 000. The group that captures the third position will still walk away with a substantial US$7 500, providing further encouragement for participants to showcase their skills and cultural heritage on a national platform.

The theme for this year’s festival, “Bira Remadhanzi, 60 Years Sithokozisa Ngezomgido!” encapsulates the essence of the event.

It pays tribute to the festival’s longevity and its commitment to celebrating traditional dance for the past six decades.

The partnership between Delta Beverages, the NACZ, and the ZNTDA has been instrumental in nurturing and developing the arts within the community. @ncubeleon.