Sekunjalo Ma Africa vow to make Bulawayo proud at Neshamwari finals

FOLLOWING the tireless efforts that saw them being crowned the Bulawayo provincial champions at the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival contest held this past weekend, Sekunjalo Ma Africa has promised to make the City of Kings and Queens proud at the national competition.

The national finals will be held on 15 July at a venue yet to be announced..

To win Bulawayo top gong at a competition held at Manor Hotel, the ensemble beat nine other groups and these are: Umkhathi Theatre Works, Khaya Arts, Vuka Mthwakazi KaNdaba, Khaya Arts, Bambanani, Thandanani, Luba Lemvelo, Ibutho Performing Arts and Isizwe Abatsha.

“We’re looking forward to the national competition. It was our third time competing at the provincial level and we’ve never lost it.

We are now preparing for the national finals and we are promising to make Bulawayo proud.

We’ve learnt a lot and we’re aware that it won’t be easy for us to scoop the first prize,” said Sekunjalo MaAfrica director Arnold Ndebele.

The 15-member group that performs the Umzansi dance, last represented Bulawayo at the national contest in 2016 and they finished as the first runners-up.

In recognition of their exceptional talent, the provincial winners were rewarded generously with a prize of US$2 500. For coming out second, Umkhathi Theatre Works got US$1 500. Khaya Arts received US$1 000 after finishing third.

The prize money is meant to support the development of traditional arts in the region.

The Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival is a national celebration of Zimbabwean culture and this year’s edition has already seen successful provincial finals in Matabeleland North, Mashonaland Central, Masvingo and the Midlands.

Organised by the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dancers Association (ZNTDA) and Delta Beverages, the provincial finals started just over a month ago.

The festival has become a platform for showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the country’s 10 provinces and this year, it welcomes a diverse array of performers, including both seasoned veterans and exciting newcomers.

The other provincial winners are Imvimbi Arts,(Matabeleland North) Swerengoma Arts, (Mashonaland Central) Jeketera Renyaningwe (Masvingo) and Mbada Dance Group (Midlands).

At the national stage, the stakes are even higher, with a total prize pool of US$32 500 awaiting the top performers. The national winners will receive US$15 000 while the second-best ensemble will be awarded US$10 000. The group that comes third will still walk away with US$7 500.

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

Last year’s national finals were held at Harare Gardens and Mutare-based traditional dance group Dapurahunanzva were the winners. – @FungaiMuderere