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Yvonne Ncube, Showbiz Correspondent

ALL is set for the inaugural two-day Amagugu Inkelo cultural expo which is slated for Friday and Saturday at Amagugu International Heritage Centre in Matobo.

 Participants in the cultural exhibition will take part in various cultural activities with the best performers receiving prizes.

 A series of outdoor events that include competitions in the best decorated Thatha Nqola (scotch cart), Thatha Bhayisikili (bicycles), jumping castle for children, Gqula inkelo (Amarula kernel cracking) and leather tanning have been lined up.

 Indoor activities include making earrings, dolls, hairdos, decorating calabashes and painting walls.

 Amagugu administrative officer Quiet Dube said preparations for the event are at an advanced stage. He said the idea is to have participants experience the various cultural activities.

“The event is very much on. Preparations are going on smoothly with everything seemingly in order despite few glitches in logistics due to lack of funding. However, we’re resisting and are persistent. There are not so many changes to the programme besides a few additional activities like ‘idale labobaba and emthonjeni wabomama’ which are safe spaces for men and women.

“We want to push until this becomes one big event that cuts across the country and beyond. We’re ready and excited about the progress we’ve made with the team from the local communities that we’ve been working with,” said Dube.

 He said school-going children are invited to the festival that seeks to showcase diverse cultural traditions while at the same time, documenting historical practices for future generations.

“School-going pupils and tertiary students are also invited as they’re the generation that’ll be on the receiving end of the cultural lessons. We want to have intergenerational transmission of cultural heritage and the concomitant cultural identity, sense of pride and development of positive self-image.” – @SeehYvonne

Decorating calabashes