By ROBYN APOLLUS
On Heritage Day, the King Lobengula Foundation and the Imvelo Cultural Project will host a cultural event and environmental exhibition at the Princess Zila Lobengula Museum in Fingo Village.
The exhibition will expose locals to the heritage of the late King Lobengula (1845–1894), the second king of the Matabele, and the Foundation’s waste management campaign (#HeritageResourcesRegeneration_CleanUp).
Foundation founder, and Lobengula descendent, Sizwe Mda, has been working on this project for almost a decade – and moved from Johannesburg to Makhanda to make it a reality.
He advocates the preservation of heritage sites like the three Lobengula graves in Fingo Village. If you would like to know more about why the descendants of Matabele royalty are buried in Makhanda, come along to tomorrow’s event.
The theme of this year’s exhibition is “A Long Walk to Discovery – Fingo Heritage.”
With the support of the National Arts Festival team, Sizwe hopes to attract local interest, enrich a sense of community, and attract cultural tourists to Makhanda.
“People must not feel like foreigners in their own land. And we must take pride in ourselves, our roots and our environment.” Mda believes that in developing an atmosphere of ‘home’, “one must care for one’s immediate environment and take pride in it”.
By accenting storytelling, he hopes to inspire young Fingo children and young adults to explore cultural heritage. Stories help individuals share experiences and beliefs and feel a part of something bigger than themselves.
The Heritage Day events aim to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together and teach people that togetherness does not only reside in the relatable state of coming from similar backgrounds. “Togetherness is supporting each other,” Mda said.
For more information, please do have a look at:
http://www.facebook.com/424222494655711/posts/1214054432339176/?flite=scwspnss
Contact: 073 664 9849
