UMKHANKASO Wamajaha has won the right to represent Matabeleland North in the national finals of the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival after winning provincial finals held at Jabulani Beer Garden in Hwange on Saturday.
Report by Luyanduhlobo Makwati
The highly energetic group put up a scintillating performance leaving adjudicators with no option but to crown them as winners of the day at the coal mining town.
For their efforts, the group left Hwange $500 richer, while Pashu Pachena, a Nambian group, went home with $300 as they came second. Vuka Mthakathi landed the third position and pocketed $200 in the process.
Umkhankaso Wamajaha will represent Matabeleland North province in the finals in Harare set for August 31.
The 10-member group said it was a great honour for them to win the competition at provincial level, adding that they hoped to bag the main award in Harare.
“Now that we have won this competition, we promise people from Matabeleland that we will win at the national finals and we as a group believe that it’s high time for Matabeleland North to stop playing second fiddle to provinces such as Harare and Bulawayo in national finals,” a member of the group said.
The provincial arts manager Clara Nkomo said Matabeleland North groups exhibited high levels of maturity in terms of traditional dance.
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“Our groups this year put up spirited performances and we believe our winners will do us proud as a province.
“We are going to the national finals with an aim of bringing the prestigious award back home,” she said.
The Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival is an annual event that is sponsored by Delta Beverages and the competition runs under the Chibuku banner.
It is organised by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association.
Meanwhile Bulawayo Province will host their Chibuku Neshamwari provincial competitions this Saturday at Manor Hotel where 10 groups will battle it out to secure a place in the national finals.
