17 February 2009
Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) in partnership
with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), Limpopo Tourism and
Parks and Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality recently officially launched the annual
Marula Festival at the Amarula Lapa in Phalaborwa. The festival, which is due
to take place from 26 to 28 February, is centred around increasing market
access and raising awareness on available marula products, cultural and tourism
products within the region involving enterprises and co-operatives from
different areas in the province.
At the launch, MEC for LEDET Collins Chabane said that the idea of Marula
Festival came about in 1997 through the need to position the province
differently by using natural resources. LEDET after discussions with DSAC then
decided to work together in exploring the marula fruit as a tourism and
commercial product. Ba-Phalaborwa was then chosen to be the permanent host of
the festival because of its strategic positioning as a gateway to the east.
The festival centres around tourism opportunities and business opportunities
and building the co-operatives industry. At present, eight co-operatives create
100 job opportunities during the marula season. This year we will still have
international guests from Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana, he said."
The MEC further indicated that part of the concept of the Marula festival was
to also promote tradition and culture and encouraged people to wear traditional
clothes and to drink from clay pots instead of glasses during the festival.
The Mayor of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Gloria Valoyi in her address
expressed her appreciation in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality still being the
permanent host of the Marula Festival in its fifth year. She urged everyone who
will be attending the Marula Festival to don traditional regalia as in other
countries such as Germany during their annual Oktoberfest beer festival. Since
its inception in 2005, the festival has managed to exceed all expectations in
terms of exposing the greatness in Marula and in exposing Phalaborwa as one of
the main business tourist attractions in Limpopo especially within the month of
February.
As in previous years, this year's festival will include exhibitions of
Marula bi-products, marula beer tasting, tourism career fair, car show, cycling
competition, five and ten kilometres fun runs, golf challenge, youth rugby,
open-air concert etc. The newly included 4X4 challenge and the street parade
will take place at Hlolwa Lodge while the street parade will begin from the
Ba-Phalaborwa municipality and end at the Impala Park stadium. Some of the new
activities also include street soccer, recreational facilities for children and
golf clinics.
The festival's entrance fees for both 26 and 27 are R20,00 and R40,00 for
Saturday, 28 February, which covers the open-air concert. Artists who will form
part of the music festival include; Freshly Ground, Thomas Chauke, DJ Mahoota
versus Vetkoek, Jay Hlungwani, Mshangaan and other various local artists billed
to perform at the show.
Issued by: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism,
Limpopo Provincial Government
17 February 2009
Source: Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Limpopo
Provincial Government (http://www.ledet.gov.za)
