The medal of decoration, the star of Azwi Development Agency, has officially been registered.

The medal of Azwi Development Agency was declared officially registered last month by the Bureau of Heraldry in terms of Section 10 of the Heraldry Act of 1962. The Bureau of Heraldry is a unit at the Department of Arts, Sport and Culture.

According to the agency manager, Mr Langanani Jackson Mafunzwaini, Azwi Development Agency was established in 1996 with the sole purpose of housing and land development.

Across the Limpopo Province, Azwi Development Agency is well-known for staging the annual meritorious awards aimed at recognising those who have contributed significantly in bringing about development in education, society, politics and the economy. The awards are named after the Vhavenda warrior Dimbayika, who traveled from Zimbabwe with his people and settled at Tshiendeulu in the Nzhelele valley.

Mafunzwaini said that the registration of their decoration of their star means that all their medals they bestow to deserving recipients during their annual awards ceremony will be recognised the world over. "To us it is a very big achievement as our existence will also be recognised officially. Nobody can copy our style of decoration, our medals," he said.

Mafunzwaini said that different individuals from various fields will be recognised during their prestigious annual awards to be held at the Thohoyandou town hall on October 13 later this year. He mentioned education, arts/culture, community development, business and music as some of this year´s 11 categories.