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Rebecca Malope

Nhlalwenhle Ngwenya
HOTELS and lodges in Gwanda are fully booked this weekend as the mining town hosts the second edition of the Gwanda Gospel Festival.

The free entry festival, a brainchild of Bigtime Strategic Group, will feature a host of South African acts including Rebecca Malope, Andile kaMajola and Lusanda Spiritual Group as well as locals – Zimpraise, Knowledge Nkiwane, Tholakele and Judith Moyo.

South Africa-based show organiser, Justice Maphosa, said they were considering building campsites for the event in order to accommodate the hundreds expected to attend.

“The show is surely growing in leaps and bounds. Gwanda hotel is already fully booked, so to alleviate the accommodation crisis, we’re building campsites.

“We want to ensure everyone is accommodated,” said Maphosa.

Those who will fail to secure accommodation in Gwanda may opt to drive to Bulawayo which is about 130km from the show’s venue.

Maphosa said they had upped their game and would be doubling the equipment used last year. An international sound system and stage will once again be used for the gospel show at Pelandaba Stadium as the extravaganza has been deemed a national event by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

“We’ve brought more equipment for the stage and sound system, almost double what we used last year. We’ll be using about 90 tonnes of equipment,” said Maphosa.

He said the South Africa artistes’ advance teams were expected to arrive today with the artistes expected tomorrow for the event which kicks off at 4PM on Friday. “The show starts at 4PM as we want the working class to have time to travel to Gwanda.”

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, which has been roped in for this year’s event, will be making sure that visiting artistes are given the best treatment. Last year, a number of South African artistes were turned away, something ZTA wants to improve on.

“Justice Maphosa faced a lot of problems last year some of which were not necessary. Even equipment was returned last year, so this time around, we’re trying to make sure that everything goes according to the script,” said ZTA head of communications – Sugar Chagonda.