Shanzha day celebrates African culture

Hundreds of villagers, visitors, cultural dignitaries and traditional leaders gathered in huge tents that left a semi-circle space in the centre at Shanzha village on a scorching Saturday two weeks ago.

The melodious sounds of nanga (indigenous flutes) permeated the air from the semi-circle centre as men, lads and boys blew into them, creating the ancient music that the forefathers had enjoyed through the centuries.

This happened during the Shanzha Day event, which is a heritage celebration aimed at informing and educating the community about the history of the village and its people.

“This is a great day in the history of Shanzha village, where we are all gathering here to celebrate our culture,” said Vhamusanda Vho-Pfananani Shavhani. “We all know what it means to be a Muvenda or African; it has its value and worth that cannot be stolen from us. It starts from within and then we live it, and it becomes evident in our conduct or lifestyle.”

He said the value of the event was that it brought members of the community together to celebrate heritage and culture. “We pride ourselves on wearing traditional and cultural attire that also reminds the younger generation that they need to be proud of their culture,” he said.

He added that people should pride themselves on their culture and refuse the temptation to shed their traditions and norms once they get to universities in the big cities or travel to faraway places.

The chairperson for the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa in Vhembe, Mr Prince Gulukhulu Mathebula, said that the organisation promoted and advocated for the unity of and recognition of traditional leadership at all social levels.

“Above all, we promote peace, unity, and harmony – and we want to see such taking root in all our villages and all other places where people find themselves inhabiting,” he said. “Let’s get back to our roots. If you respect and listen to your traditional leaders, you'll also refrain from fighting among yourselves and in your families. Every relationship has got problems of its own, so stop killing one another and children because love has come to an end – rather separate in peace.”

Thovhele Vho-Mailausumbwa Tshivhase said: “This is a day on which we are celebrating. And when we celebrate, we make fewer speeches and focus on celebrating through singing and dancing, and feasting.”

He then led the sacred tshikona dance, while all other traditional leaders followed him in sync with the flutes, and the sacred ngoma.

Date:10 October 2019

By: Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

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