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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
TWENTY members of the Amangwe clan yesterday left for South Africa to attend the annual international cultural celebrations in Vryheid, KwaZulu Natal. The three-day celebrations starting on Friday will bring together over 1,000 people from Southern Africa who will explore ways of preserving culture. King Ntshosho Zwane II, local chiefs from South Africa and members of the Zwane royal family among others are expected to attend.

Speaking before their journey, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwean cultural grouping, Nkosinathi Ndiweni, said the international celebrations had grown over the past two years.
“The celebrations were normally held on one day but this year we are holding them for three days. This shows that the celebrations are growing and we are moving in the right direction in preserving our heritage and culture,” he said.

Ndiweni said it was important to preserve culture as it would help future generations to know their roots.
“We’re trying to revive our culture so as to help future generations know where they came from. It’s important as an individual to know your roots so that you plan for your future,” he said.

Ndiweni said such cultural gatherings were important as they also promote tourism in a country.
“The last celebrations we held in Zimbabwe had over 1,000 people. Over 100 people came from outside the country. The success of these events is very important because it promotes tourist traffic into the country which will contribute significantly to the country’s tourism sector,” he said.

During their stay in South Africa, the Amangwe will meet King Ntshosho Zwane II to discuss various issues to do with culture.
“We will sit with the King and discuss a lot of issues with him on how to build and strengthen cultural relations between the Amangwe. This tradition is called Ukuwotha Inkosi, where we sit around the king listening to advice from him,” Ndiweni said.

The Amangwe people, who are a sub-section of the Ndebele nation, are found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Mozambique. It is said the Amangwe bore Ndebele king Mzilikazi. Historians say that King Zwane bore King Mangethe who was a king in the days of Zulu king Tshaka. King Zwane had a daughter Cikose who was mother to King Mzilikazi.

The Amangwe celebrations have been held annually since 2012 where the Amangwe clan in Zimbabwe were reunited with their kith and kin from South Africa and Swaziland after 180 years of separation. Since then, they have travelled to South Africa every September and Swaziland every March to strengthen their cultural ties and heritage.
This year the annual celebrations in Zimbabwe were held in Bulawayo at Amakhosi Cultural Centre.