LOUIS TRICHARDT - Phalaphala FM, Shoprite and the Department of Arts and Culture in Limpopo will be hosting the finals of the traditional dance competition tomorrow (Saturday) at the Louis Trichardt Show Ground.

At least fifty groups will be participating in various dance categories of Tshikona (10) Tshigombela (12), Malende (10), Xigubu (10), Kiba Visa and Makgakgasa.

The competition accommodates all dominant language groups in the province like Xitsonga, Sepedi and Tshivenda. According to the organiser Mpho Nefale, the competition is the biggest traditional music event to take place in the province.

This will be the first time Phalaphala FM; one of the SABC radio stations broadcasting in Tshivenda and based in Pietersburg, will be staging such an event.

"We were very pleased with the response we received from the groups that participated in this competition since it started four weeks back. The competition was running with one category per week," says Joel Tangulani, a presenter of traditional music programmes at Phalaphala FM.

Initially 213 groups entered the competition. Sixty-five of them participated in preliminary round of Tshigombela, 59 Malende and 45 in Tshikona and Xigubu. Twenty-six groups competed for Kiba Visa while only 18 competed in Makgakgasi.

Each week, groups were eliminated until the categories were trimmed down to fifty groups that will participate in the finals.

The finals will coincide with the South African Music Week. Members of cabinet and of the provincial legislature, business partners, traditional and regional leaders are expected at this function.

Shoprite, which sponsored the function, has also promised to sponsor other cultural events of various cultural groups in the country to promote heritage and culture, which they say are important in the country.