Zimpapers Logo

Pezhuba Pachena Cultural Ensemble

Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
Matabeleland North Chibuku Neshamwari traditional dance competition representatives – Pezhuba Pachena Cultural Ensemble are confident that they will come out tops at the national finals being held at White City Stadium tomorrow.

The 15-member group from Hwange will be trying their luck for the third time after having contested in 2005 and 2009.

Their director Lucky Munzabwa said they had improved their act.

“We’re highly confident that we’ll come out tops at the finals.  We’ve been practising hard as a group. Being ambassadors of our culture in such a big contest has also given us more zeal and desire to win,” Munzabwa said.

Pezhuba Pachena won the ticket to represent the Matabeleland North province after clinching the provincial contest in Binga last month.

“The judges at the provincial competitions acknowledged it was a tough call as all the 10 groups came well prepared. It’ll be good to demonstrate that our win in Binga was no fluke,” said Munzabwa.

He said their group was formed in 2005 as an all-male acapella group before the incorporation of six females the following year to form the cultural ensemble set up.

The ambitious outfit stands to win a whopping $7,000 if they win the finals tomorrow. The second and third slot winners will walk away with $5,000 and $3,000 respectively.

Other groups taking part include Sekunjalo Mafrica (Bulawayo), How Mine and Kalawe (Matabeleland South), Maramuro Gure (Harare), Redwing Mine (Manicaland), Fix Changoma (Midlands), Arcturus (Mashonaland East), Dzimbabwe (Masvingo) and Tsitsamwana (Mashonaland West).

Last year, Mashonaland East outfit, Makarekare Dance Troupe were crowned national champions and walked away with $4,000. The group was closely followed by Chinyakare dance group from Mashonaland Central who came second and pocketed $3,000 while Mashonaland West’s Budiriro Arts came  third pocketing $2,000.