27 Jan 2022

The Wosana Association of the Bakalanga of the North East District will have to work overtime to inscribe the Wosana folkdance and associated practices on the urgent safeguarding list of intangible heritage.

This came to light during a three-day workshop on Wosana and associated practices in Masunga on Tuesday.

Wosana folkdance music is spiritual and is  sung to ask for rain and good life for Bakalanga  people in general.

The Wosana folkdance and associated practices involve singing, dancing, and sacred rituals that are highly significant in the lives of the people of the North East District.

The association does not have an executive committee, has not opened an account, has not held any official meetings, whilst some members have either resigned or died, amongst others.

An official of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Mr Bathusi Lesolobe said he was disturbed by the situation as it would delay the registration of the association with UNESCO.

The association was given 2022/2023 period to have registered with UNESCO intangible cultural heritage for it to be included on the urgent safeguarding list of intangible heritage.

Mr Lesolobe said there were allegations that some members joined the association just to represent their own interests and wondered why there were no youths in the association when they were the beneficiaries of intangible cultural heritage.

Meanwhile,  Ms Kagiso Matebesi from the Office of the District Commissioner said culture played a very important role in the lives of people, adding that it was against this backdrop that it must be preserved for coming generations.

She applauded the association for the initiative to register the Wosana folkdance and associated practices with UNESCO, as their culture would now be preserved digitally.

In her welcome remarks,  North East District Intangible Cultural Heritage chairperson, Ms Fridah Mosojane appealed to Bakalanga of the North East District to take intangible cultural heritage seriously, as it had a lot of benefits, which was why government supported the registration of intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO.

Ms Mosojane said cultural heritage was central to protecting a sense of who ‘we are’ as it gave an irrefutable connection to the past.

It connects ‘to certain social values, beliefs, customs, and traditions that allow us to identify ourselves with others and deepen our sense of unity, belonging and national pride,’ she said.

She said other tribes in the country, such as Bakgatla and Babirwa, had managed to register their intangible cultural heritages with UNESCO and wondered why the Bakalanga could not do the same.

The main objectives of the workshop were to conclude the nomination file of Wosana, to prepare the script for the nomination video as well as to develop a work plan for the nomination video.

Wosana dance is associated with the Bakalanga Community found in 37 out of the 42 villages in the North East District.

It is specifically centred in Ramokgwebana, where the spiritual leader of the practice known as Mbedzi (high priest) is based and the rituals to mark the beginning of the ploughing season are performed. Ends