24 August 2007
The Minister of Sport and Recreation, Makhenkesi Stofile and the Premier of
the Eastern Cape, Nosimo Balindlela will grace the official opening of the 4th
annual National Indigenous Games Festival scheduled for the Sisa Dukashe
Stadium in Mdantsane, East London on 31 August 2007.
The festival titled 'Celebrating South African Poetry, Demonstrating Our
Heritage Through Indigenous Games' underpins the determination of all South
Africans as expressed in the 2004 elections and the Ten Year celebrations, to
work together to achieve as a nation, the common objective of building a better
life for all. The festival will start on 31 August and end on 2 September
2007.
Indigenous Games are fundamental part of Sport and Recreation South Africa's
(SRSA's) Mass Participation Programme, which focuses on both vertical and
horizontal sport development. Apart from indigenous games, the programme also
incorporates amongst others, an Active Inner City Programme, Women and Sport,
and Corporate Recreation.
Together with departments responsible for sport and recreation in all the
provinces of South Africa, the national Department of Sport and Recreation
(SRSA) annually hosts Indigenous Games Festival in celebration of Africa's
cultural diversity and an effort to revive indigenous games. Noxolo
Abraham-Ntatiso in her capacity as the Eastern Cape MEC for Sport, Recreation,
Arts and Culture with members of her senior staff, will also be part of the
event.
The revival of Indigenous Games in South Africa evolved as a response to the
national call to embrace African Renaissance. This revival is intended to
popularise those cultural activities that have a particular appeal to vast
sectors of the South African society, particularly the traditional rural
people. Due to the fact that sport and recreation activities are predominantly
practiced in urban areas and are largely Euro-centric, the revival of
indigenous games is essential in order to get more South Africans, more active,
for most of the time.
The revival of indigenous games in South Africa gained momentum at national
level when the games were launched at the Basotho Cultural Village in the Free
State Province, in February 2001. The launch saw the introduction of seven
indigenous games, namely: Ugqaphu / Kgati / Ntimo, Diketo / Upuca / Magave,
Morabaraba / Mlabalaba, Ncuva / Ntijwa / Tsoro / Tshimaya/Moruba, Dibeke /
Diwiki / Snuka / Skununu / Umabhorisha, Jukskei, and Kho-Kho. The eighth game,
Iintonga / Melamu / Iziduku, was introduced at a later stage.
Like other sport and recreation codes, indigenous games impact on a number
of socio-economic issues such as African identity, cultural diversity,
education and training, accessibility of resources, international relations,
economic growth and so forth.
Following the safety approval and standardisation of the game's equipment by
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa geared
itself for the first national Indigenous Games Festival. The festival was held
in Limpopo province in September 2003. Two national festivals that were held in
the Western Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa respectively have
already succeeded the Limpopo Festival.
For further details contact:
Manase Makwela
Director: SRSA Communication and Information
Cell: 082 782 1759
Goodman Ndaba
Cell: 082 890 3946
E-mail: goodman@srsa.gov.za
Issued by: Sport and Recreation South Africa
24 August 2007
