Intwasa a resounding success

Entertainment
THE just-ended ninth edition of Intwasa Festival KoBulawayo has been rated a resounding success.

THE just-ended ninth edition of Intwasa Festival KoBulawayo has been rated a resounding success. Luyanduhlobo Makwati Own Correspondent

The seven-day festival received reasonable funding from its traditional stakeholders, confirming it as one of the prestigious and premier arts gatherings of the year in Zimbabwe.

Raisedon Baya, the director of the festival, said his team was happy with the way the festival was conducted, saying organisers managed to achieve all the set objectives for this year’s event.

He applauded artistes drawn from the region and countrywide for the support they gave to the festival and the sponsors who funded different regional and local groups to come and take part in the festival.

“I would like to thank all the relevant stakeholders who took part in this festival. We are looking forward to continue working together for the growth of the festival for it to be bigger and better,” he said.

Baya said they were looking forward to bring more international acts next year as Intwasa would be celebrating 10 years of existence.

“This is not a local festival, but an international one. We are working hard that next year as we celebrate a decade of the festival we would make it more bigger and better because people of Bulawayo have shown us that this festival is not about artistes, but them because they supported it from the first day right up to Sunday evening when we had our final performance,” he said.

The multifaceted fête was characterised by a huge turnout.

William Nyandoro, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe representative in Bulawayo, commended the role that was played by artistes and organisers of the event saying it was well organised.

“Organising such an event is not an easy task because it requires a lot of time with adequate resources. We are proud as arts council that Intwasa succeeded without any hustles. I would like to say thumbs up for the organising crew who managed to lure sponsors on board so that the festival could become a success,” he said.

This year’s festival was officiated by the Zimbabwe Tourism authority chief Karikoga Kaseke.