AmaMpondo praised for preserving their culture

The Lwandlolubomvu Great Place at Matshona village in Ntabankulu in the Eastern Cape held the 18th Mpondo Culture and Heritage Festival under the theme Umgubho amaMpondo.

The event seeks to promote unity in a diversity of cultures.

It was attended by diverse cultures from various parts of South Africa and beyond including Pedi, Tswana, Sotho, Ndebele Kingdoms and Chieftainships.

Different tribes come here to enjoy the uniqueness of their cultures, traditions and customs.

“We have been celebrating this festival for the past 18 years since 2006. When we celebrate our festival, we celebrate in the diversity of other cultures from the different provinces, promoting social cohesion, promoting unity, promoting the importance of the culture of customs and tradition and heritage,” says King Nzululwazi Sigcau.

Meanwhile, Chief Ntsundzuka Mahumane, of the Tsonga nation, says the Mpondo festival is showcasing the spirit of Africanness, unity and diverse cultural practices.

“Our traditions and principles are almost the same and when we are here, we have seen the way the Pondo preserve their culture, one thing that is very important and we have seen is that the Pondo nation is not recognized in South Africa but as we come we tend to learn what they do and which we feel that is very important,” says Chief Mahumane.

Traditional leaders believe South Africans can resolve their challenges if they work together.

“In the early 70s people were afraid of one another simply because they were speaking different languages, if you speak isiMpondo, isiZulu and Sepedi people would just isolate themselves. But now that I am here I feel at home and when they are at home in Limpopo they also feel at home,” explains Prince Serake Mampuru of the Bapedi nation.

Reed dancing and virginity testing have been hailed as forms of preserving the old traditions.

Some women in attendance believe it’s a remedy to prevent teenage pregnancy in the rural areas.

“As we have a budget of R250 000 for each and every financial year, this budget looks after the interests of all the girls that go for virginity testing, we make sure that they attend virginity testing. We know some of them come from poor families that is why we have a budget for this programme,” adds one of the attendants.