The Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile will conduct the sod turning ceremony for the establishment of Nwamitwa Cultural Village and Museum. The cultural village is aimed at preserving and promoting the culture of the Valoyi Community in particular and the VaTsonga in general.
The ceremony will take place on Sunday, 17 April 2014 at Nwamitwa village in Limpopo Province. The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) is funding the entire project. The envisaged cultural village will showcase the Nwamitwa culture and history by promoting their living heritage while the historical museum will display elements of XiTsonga culture and artefacts.
This initiative will include space for accommodation, a craft exhibition space, a coffee shop, a restaurant and health spa will complete the products delivered. The community will be highly involved in providing some of the products, such as showcasing their living heritage and craft as well as the cultivation and supplying of organic fruits and vegetables.
The cultural village will encompass a museum that will promote both the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Valoyi Community.
This will be done through the preservation and conservation of heritage objects, spaces will also be created for intangible cultural heritage, such as performances, rituals and indigenous knowledge systems.
Significantly, the project has the potential to become self-sustainable and contribute to local economic development. It will not only create jobs opportunities, but it will further boost cultural tourism and generally improves the lives of the people in the area.
While this ground-breaking project is part of government’s rural community development programme, it is also in line with the national legacy projects to establish commemorative symbols of South Africa’s history and to celebrate its heritage.
The establishment of a cultural village and a museum comes against the backdrop of various developmental projects initiated by Nwamitwa community. They comprise a youth centre which runs extensive arts, culture and heritage related programmes, as well as a cultural festival where local artists showcase an array of music, craft, dance, poetry and drama.
Through these activities, the young people have benefitted in developing and exploiting their potential in arts. As the country celebrate 20 years of democracy, the cultural heritage of all South Africans including those of previously underprivileged communities takes on a greater significance in our quest to attain a truly inclusive society and better life for all. In this way South Africa will be a better place to live in.
Members of the media are invited the ceremony is scheduled as follows:
Date: 17 April 2014
Time: 09h00
Venue: Nwamitwa Village, next to Tzaneen
Media enquiries:
Mogomotsi Mogodiri
Cell: 071 687 4984
Email: mogomotsim@dac.gov.za
Mack Lewele
Cell: 0824505076
Email: MackL@dac.gov.za
