Stage set for Mmakgodumo Cultural Festival

The seventh edition will be divided into two sections, with the first one being the cultural showcase of different traditions like dikgafela, dikhwaere and other ways of living, which will start in the morning. It will then be followed by the cultural festival in the evening at which local artists amongst them Ditiro Leero, Mmaratwa, Dipilara, Tsanakana, Kuka la Setso will treat the audience to different cultural music. There will also be a kiddies corner with jumping castles and other amusements to keep children entertained. According to organisers, so far, all preparations for the event have been completed and all is left is for the gates to be opened for cultural enthusiasts to come and witness the beauty of Bangwaketse ba Seepapitso’s diverse culture. The stage and tents are set and the cultural villages placed outside the garden just a stone’s throw away from the garden have been built, each to represent the different wards in the village. Secretary-general of Bathoen II Trust, Taolo Mogobe, said their intention was to revive the Mmakgodumo Cultural Festival that had not been hosted for a while since COVID-19 hit the country. He told journalists at a press briefing that this year’s event will mainly focus on showcasing the Sengwaketse culture through dikgafela. This is a ceremony where villagers take their first harvest to the kgosi to take the first bite and bless it for better harvest the next ploughing season.

Mogobe said the decision was based on the realisation that their dikgafela were different from those of other tribes. “Our dikgafela are different through dress code, songs sung during the ceremony and others. We will have different regiments showcasing the Sengwaketse culture. “Since we are reviving our cultural festival, we decided the event to be free of charge. This is to attract many people to come and witness our culture. “We have invited Basotho to this event since we are related to them through our queen who hails from Lesotho. It is through our relations with her that we see the importance of having a cultural diversity them,” he added.

Mogobe also said the other objective of hosting the event was to turn Mmakgodumo Gardens into a tourism attraction. With its immense beauty of the Mother Nature, the venue offers a breath of fresh air. During rainy and warm seasons, trees and landscape get green with water flowing from the streams that flow from the nearby pond which is also fed by the Mmakgodumo Dam. The venue also has the picturesque popular plantation also known as dipopolere that the villagers take pride in.