Today, the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture, Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, MP, will participate during the Freedom Day celebrations hosted by the South African Embassy in Doha, Qatar.
The Deputy Minister is embarking on a tour of duty upon an invitation from the South African Embassy in Qatar to participate during the Freedom Day celebrations and to lay the groundwork for further cultural engagements with her Qatari counterparts.
“This year marks 22 years since the demise of the inhumane apartheid regime in South Africa and the birth of the democratic South Africa, the rainbow nation. The dawn of freedom and democracy in 1994 also heralded the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of South Africa and the State of Qatar”, said Mabudafhasi.
“The South African Department of Arts and Culture and its Qatari counterpart have finalised the Memorandum of Agreement on Arts, Culture and Heritage to be signed soon. The Memorandum of Agreement seeks to consolidate and strengthen the ties of friendship and of reciprocal understanding between their peoples.
It also forms part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen cultural relations between South Africa and Qatar, and thus promote greater people to people contact and deepen our bonds of friendship and solidarity”, remarked Mabudafhasi.
Department of Arts and Culture’s participation during the Freedom Day celebrations in Qatar also serve as a platform to showcase South African dance and music and further assess their appetite for South African music and dance. This initiative is in line with the department`s objective of creating opportunities and exploring markets for South African culture and products in the Middle East region.
“It is for this reason that we brought the Garage Dance Ensemble from O`okiep in the Northern Cape to participate during the Freedom Day celebrations. The Garage Dance Ensemble is a group of youth from a rural and underprivileged community.
This group was created for the empowerment of young people through performance and teaching that instils a sense of personal pride, discipline, responsibility and a “can do” attitude, which in turn will open them to new possibilities in life”, stated Mabudafhasi.
The whole month of April is dedicated as Freedom Month. It provides South Africans with an opportunity to strengthen solidarity, tolerance, national identity and promote social cohesion.
Enquiries:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
E-mail: petermb@dac.gov.za
