30 May 2018

Assistant district commissioner, William Keareng says rockers commitment towards poverty eradication through their annual charitable festival dubbed Overthrust Winter Mania cannot be overlooked.

Officiating at the 9th edition of the festival in Ghanzi recently, Keareng said the rockers’ quest to eradicate poverty was consistent with the country’s priorities, and that it accelerated the ambition of the district and the country to achieve a nation free of poverty.

He said their efforts did not only improve the beneficiaries socio-economic status, but also brought dignity to their families.

He also said the festival was a platform for dissemination of information on rock culture, and that it cleared the myth that the rock community was associated with Satanism.

Woltermade band member from Cape Town, South Africa, Stefan Steyn said it was inspirational to see people up in arms to fight poverty and uplift the less privileged through heavy metal.

He said rockers were agents of love and the truth and that heavy metal music united people from different backgrounds.

He added that rock in Botswana was original and  that it attracted multitudes of people across the world.

The leader of the band which organises the festival, Tshomarelo Mosaka said the support they got locally and gave them pressure to do more, noting that they featured international bands.

He said the festival also gave tourists  an opportunity to appreciate the country’s culture, subsequently selling the country to the outside world.

He said hotels around the Ghanzi region also benefitted as a result of the festival. ENDS