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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Reporter
Loziba Festival is set to roar to life on Sunday and run over a week. Running under the theme “Gender Equality for A Sustainable Tomorrow,” the event is an all-female multi-disciplinary arts festival that is meant to uplift young female artistes in Bulawayo.

It is inspired by Queen Loziba who stood her ground in terms of uplifting the status of women in a patriarchal state. This year’s edition will be launched through a music festival at Chigumira koMatsika in Luveve from 2pm on Sunday.

On Monday, a film named The Storytellers will be screened at the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo at 3pm. On Tuesday, a workshop running under the banner “Where is The Money?” will be held at the Mhlahlandlela Board Room at 2pm. On Wednesday, a spoken word show named A Few Words will be held at Carne Casa from 3pm.

Two events will be held on Thursday, a fashion show called A Walk in Her Shoes and a hair expo named Inwele Zomuntu Omnyama that will take place at NGZ from 2pm.

Friday night will see the festival heading to Gwanda where it will be headlined by Pamella. The show will coincide with one that will be held at Carne Casa and headlined by the pint-sized songstress Novuyo Seagirl. All shows have been dubbed One Woman Shows.

On Saturday, the festival will wrap up with a music festival at a venue yet to be announced. Loziba Festival media officer Senelani Ndlovu said preparations are at an advanced stage.

“Everything is going as planned for the festival. The music festival will be headlined by Novuyo Seagirl, Qeqe, Helen, Rachel Voko, Chichi the poet, and Nobuhle the poetic lioness.

“We hope people will come in their numbers as we support female creatives as this event is solely about celebrating them,” said Ndlovu.

The festival is a brainchild of some female artists who came together after seeing the need to support each other in order to rise in the male-dominated field. They partnered with Youth For Innovation Trust to come up with a concept that would honour the life of Queen Loziba while embracing the Ndebele culture and giving female artistes a breakthrough. – @mthabisi_mthire