13 Aug 2018

Barclays Bank of Botswana has donated Kuru Development Trust P338 000 to facilitate their annual festival slated for D’kar on August 24-25.

Speaking at the handover ceremony recently, Patron of Kuru Development Trust Dr Ponatshego Kedikilwe said to date, Barclays Bank Botswana had contributed a total of P969 000 towards the Kuru Dance Festival and the amount did not include marketing costs.

“I would be remiss if I began without thanking Reinette van der merwe and the incredible team at Barclays Bank Botswana for their support of this platform for four consecutive years now,” he said.

Dr Kedikilwe noted that since the bank’s initial sponsorship of P369 000 in 2015, both parties had maintained a strong partnership that continues to flourish.

He said year after year, the bank’s commitment and passion to grow the Kuru Dance Festival and play an even greater and more meaningful role in cultural preservation of this festival, and indeed more widely speaking, grows ever stronger.

Dr Kedikilwe further said “in this way, and through this platform, we see the D’kar community continuing to grow.”

“We have seen a spotlight on the richness and vibrancy of the region, highlighting its bounty as a tourist attraction. We have seen a heightened sense of enterprise, as local businesses ready themselves for this time of year, and for the knock-on effect of the festival. We have seen an increased, and increasing sense of appreciation for our heritage and culture as Batswana, not in spite of but in regard to our diverse backgrounds,” he continued.

He said as a corporate citizen, Barclays Bank Botswana should be proud of the contribution they have made towards the growth and success of this festival, which is at the heart of celebrating the rich culture of the San.

Dr Kedikilwe thanked Barclays Bank for its unwavering support over the years and we hoped the Bank continue to support the Trust and the Festival well into the future, and indeed in stringer and even more diverse ways.

He indicated that as the Patron of the Kuru Development Trust, it is indeed a privilege to be speaking about this festival so many years after its establishment in 1997, for it means a proven two decades of their efforts as a collective coming to fruition.

Dr Kedikilwe said the Kuru Dance Festival is undeniably an important platform to celebrate and preserve the heritage of the San, who form part of the diverse culture in Botswana.

“This celebration additionally provides the opportunity to engage with our neighboring countries where the Khoi San also reside,” he said, further adding that this is a platform that celebrates the heritage of the San people through a number of dances that tell the life story of the San who reside in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

He said these dances touch on numerous topics such as rites of passage, puberty, hunting and gathering, courtship and trance healing.

“It is an honour and a privilege to be a part of such festivity and cultural rite, and we must embrace this chance to experience such richness of heritage and tradition,” he concluded.

For her part,  the bank’s managing director Reinette van der Merwe said for the past 20 years, the renowned festival had brought together a variety of diverse communities from across Botswana, and even beyond our borders.

“For 20 years now, we have had the privilege and for some of us the honour of bearing witness, and indeed partaking, in the rich culture of the San, of understanding this sacrosanct time in the year, all that it holds and all that it stands for,” said van der Merwe.

She further said hosting such an event continued to make a resounding impact not only to the Kgalagadi region but also on the nation.

“We are pleased that this festival is already in our national calendar of events,” she said.

Van der Merwe said Kuru Dance Festival continued to attract local and international audiences.

She said beyond mere cultural appreciation, there was intrinsic value in the festival and how it served to grow and develop the local community and her people.

“We are determined to continue to empower the San to allow them to independently make informed decisions and to implement solutions that are applicable to their situation and their context,” she said.

Arone Yohannes, chairperson of Kuru Development Trust said the festival sought to commemorate the full moon, which was significant in the culture of the San resident in the area.

“The San believe that during this period, they are able to heal the sick through the power they receive from song and dance. It is a cultural phenomenon that remains sacred,” he said. Ends