Abednico Ncube
Beatific Gumbwanda/
Cephas Shava
CHIREDZI – The Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of Culture and Heritage, Abednico Ncube has praised the Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair initiative but blamed tattered roads in the district for stunting development.
In a speech read on his behalf by George Magosvongwe, who is the permanent secretary in the ministry, at Mhlanguleni at the close of the fair recently, Ncube said good road networks were the basis for infrastructure development.
“We should engage in practical programmes of farming, irrigation, mining and infrastructural development facilitated by good road networks which are key to development.
“When I was coming here it felt like I was dancing mbakumba and muchongovoyo due to bad roads. If we are talking about culture, we are talking about constructing good road networks, connecting water and electricity in order to upgrade our living conditions,” he said.
Ncube thanked the Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair organisers and local leaders for facilitating the cross-country cultural festival.
“We thank the growth of the trade fair and the government has joined to make it a national cultural fair and ultimately an international cultural fair being joined by our brothers in South Africa and Mozambique. This has given us a platform to attend to the welfare of other communities countrywide,” he said.
In Mwenezi, meanwhile, artists converged at Rutenga growth point and agreed to come up with a cultural festival as is happening in other districts.
Culture officer from the ministry, Kenneth Madziva urged artists in the district to speak with one voice so that they can match other districts.
“You need to come up with a cultural festival like what is happening in districts like Chiredzi. Such a platform would present an opportunity to showcase Mwenezi talent so you need to have your own area of specialisation as an artist,” said Madziva.
The meeting was attended by groups like the Musaverema traditional dance group, Matande Black Spirits, representatives from Mwenezi Rural District Council and the Ministry of Education as well as representatives from Regai Dzive Shiri.local
