05 Sep 2022

Multitudes thronged the Molepolole Sports complex on Saturday to celebrate the 14^th edition of Dithubaruba cultural festival.

The softball pitch, where the event was held, was full to the brim with some revellers occupying open spaces, chatting the night away and enjoying not only the festivities, but their drinks.

Revellers had a whale of a time as different artists dished out music, poetry and dance, which catered for all tastes, all day long and way into the night.  Dr Vom, seemed to be the   favourite because as soon as he got on stage, the crowd responded, with some standing up where they were, while others went on stage to sing and dance alongside him, to his number one hit song: Tsaya thobane.

Clearly this was an indication that revellers were ‘finally reclaiming their lives from the clutches of a merciless pandemic’, as the guest speaker, Kgosi Thabo Maruje III, would sum it all up.

Kgosi Maruje III said all the singing and the festivities were simply a celebration of victory against COVID-19, while also reclaiming ‘our cultural heritage as a traditional society’.

He further said even the edition’s theme: Ngwao Boswa, Ga e Phetsolelwe Nageng, soundly expressed that reality.

Saying heritage was wealth, Kgosi Maruje III stressed that ‘it would be tragic if the entire stock of wealth given to us by our forefathers was lost’.  He said the status of the Dithubaruba festival, demonstrated how unbreakable cultural was, adding that this was further evidenced by the presence of Bakwena from other parts of Southern Africa.

Kgosi Maruje III said even centuries later, after wars and splits that resulted from colonialism, the cultural bond remained intact and maybe even stronger.

On a different note, he said there was a desperate need to diversify the country’s economy, not only from mineral resources, but tourism away from the Okavango Delta, saying it was a source of substantial revenue leakages in the tourism sector. “I find it baffling that as a nation we continue to pour a lot of resources into marketing a tourist asset that repatriates the bulk of its earnings abroad, while we have all but neglected the marketing of other tourism sub-sectors such as cultural tourism,” he said.

Kgosi Maruje thus said it was important to bring a sharp focus on cultural tourism, which Dithubaruba festival was part of.

Meanwhile, assistant minister of local government and rural development, Mr Mabuse Pule said as culture was the embodiment of national values and way of life, the significance of Dithubaruba could not be overemphasised. He said it was fitting for the nation to not only celebrate its cultural heritage, but to also safeguard it for the benefit of future generations. Mr Pule commended cultural organisations, which had consistently organised cultural festivals to promote and preserve culture, saying such could be used as an economic diversification tool. Other Bakwena from other countries, particularly South Africa, gave solidarity messages and implored Bakwena to continue upholding and preserving their culture. Kgosi Manotshe Mokoka of Bakwena ba Phalane encouraged Kgosi Kgari III to continue uniting his tribe and ensuring that it became a force to reckon with.

He encouraged women to make Setswana cultural outfits fashionable to appeal to youngsters. Meanwhile, Kgosi Kgari III thanked everyone for their support, especially on the heels of the havoc wrecked by COVID-19, which resulted in slow economic recovery.

The event started off with women from different wards taking Dikgafela to Kgosi Kgari III. Cabinet ministers, members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi, members of parliament and other leaders from across the political divide, as well as members of the diplomatic corps graced the event. ENDS