03 Jul 2022

The Wayeyi tribe has received accolades for upholding its culture.

Speaking at the annual Wayeyi Cultural Festival in Gumare on Friday, Assistant Minister of Youth, Gender, Sports and Culture, Buti Billy, said by nurturing their culture, the Wayeyi would safe keep their language and practices.

“You identify yourself by your language. Mother tongue is important for a child’s development as that’s the primary knowledge a child possess even before going to school,” he said.

Culture, he said, had potential for socio-economic growth, therefore the Wayeyi should package some of their unique cultural skills for tourism purposes.

Billy said time was ripe to harness the cultural aspect of health, which could be developed and incorporated in everyday life.

“People were healed with traditional medicine in the past, some countries take the same traditional medicine and develop them,” he said.

He said it was important to invest in such.

Government, Billy said, encouraged cultural diversity.

As such, he said his ministry supported tribes that celebrated their annual cultural events with P30 000.

He encouraged the Wayeyi to be united in reviving their culture.

Researchers, the assistant minister said, had established that the Wayeyi were one of the richest cultures in the country.

Billy urged the youth to come up with projects motivated by culture.

In her recorded message, the Kamanakao Association Coordinator, Professor Lydia Nyati-Saleshando said Wayeyi had been pushing for recognition of their culture.

She said the Kamakao Association was founded in 1995 to be the umbrella for Wayeyi advocacy.

Nonetheless, she said there had been some milestones since the Wayeyi were recognised as a tribe in 2016 and that subsequently Kgosi Jacob Seidisa was recognised as Wayeyi chief.

Professor Nyati-Saleshando, however, said the pending issue was for Kgosi Seidisa to be installed as chief and given all the powers found in the constitution.

In his remarks, Kgosi Seidisa said it had been a long time since the Wayeyi advocated for recognition as a tribe.

He said the Wayeyi were initially found in about seven villages only but had since changed as the tribe was widespread around the country.

The day saw entertainment from different Wayeyi traditional groups. ENDS