MEC Leeto thanks Macufe revellers
The Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mrs. N.S Leeto would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all stakeholders who were involved in the preparation and staging of the 19th annual Mangaung African Cultural Festival (MACUFE) as well as the general public for their support and for making MACUFE a very successful cultural event.
The 19th annual MACUFE hosted under the theme “Igniting the African Spirit” proved to be a brand that continues to receive overwhelming support from patrons across the country and the continent while contributing enormously to the economy of the Free State province.
In 2016 MACUFE reaffirmed itself as the only festival in South Africa that caters for all interest groups and people from all walks of life primarily because of its diverse program.
The 19th annual MACUFE program kick-started with the MACUFE Hip-hop show under the theme Tshepe vs. New Era on 30 September where Free State Hip-hop acts who dominate the Tshepe movement such as Andrianto, J Cob, Naycha, Castino, DJ Shaxe and Thwenny Thwenny entertained a youthful crowd alongside some renowned South African Hip-hop acts such as Ricky Rick, Da Les, L Tido,Moozlie, Gigi Lamayne, Gemini Major, Yanga, Dj Capital, and Dj Switch.
In 2016 the Department integrated the MACUFE Rock-Fest as an addition to the many events that form part of the festival on 1 October at Emoya Estate in Mangaung.
The MACUFE Rock-Fest, like all other MACUFE events, received massive support from the public hence the performance line-up included South Africa’s finest Rock artists such as Wonder Boom, Manny Walters, Howie Combrinck, Just Jinjer, and Drywater.
The MACUFE Gospel, MACUFE Comedy, MACUFE Jazz Festival, MACUFE Divas Concert and MACUFE Urban Festival shows also showcased Free State finest talents and the department will continue to utilise such esteemed platforms to prioritise and expose Free State artists to a larger audience performing alongside South Africa’s most celebrated artists, and where possible, encourage collaborations that will see our own local artists benefit.
The department also brought back the MACUFE Word-Fest under the auspice of the Free State Writers Forum for those patrons of MACUFE who appreciate literature and the spoken word on 5-7 October because the event was last held in 2013 due to financial constraints.
MACUFE Word-Fest also served as a platform for Free State writers to launch their books, and hosted workshops on writing skills and techniques.
MACUFE Word-Fest received presentations from the legendary Khotso Nkhatho, Pule Lechesa, Chopo Teleki and many other imminent Free State writers.
As per tradition the 19th annual MACUFE ended on a high note with the SPARTA MACUFE Cup match between Bloemfontein Celtic and Kaizer Chiefs held at the Free State Stadium on 9 October in Mangaung which saw Kaizer Chiefs claim the trophy with a 4-1 victory over Bloemfontein Celtics.
Sport continues to be a powerful tool that the department uses to foster social cohesion and the SPARTA MACUFE Cup was no different.
Commenting about the success of the 19th annual MACUFE Free State MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Mrs N.S Leeto said, “We thank the people of the Free State, South Africa, and the rest of the continent for their unwavering support for the 19th annual MACUFE.
Indeed we have all reaffirmed MACUFE as a brand that attracts thousands of patrons and this would not have been possible without the strong collaborations the department has with various stakeholders such as the Traffic Department, South African Police Service, Emergency Services, Hospitality Sector, and the many sponsors MACUFE received.
Most importantly, we wish to sincerely thank the people of the Free State for being very hospitable to our guests.
Moving forward we encourage our people in the townships to take advantage of the accommodation backlog we have experienced and open up their homes as places of rest while making business for themselves.”
