The National Heritage Council (NHC) of South Africa held an Ubuntu Imbizo as part of its heritage commemoration at Lesley Manyathela Stadium in Musina on Tuesday.

In his address during the event, the chief executive officer of the NHC, Adv Sonwabile Mancotywa, indicted that the main idea why the imbizo took place in Musina was due to the fact that, when other parts of the country took part in the xenophobic attacks recently, the people of Musina did not involve themselves in these attacks, irrespective of the fact that a lot of Zimbabweans are found in the area. 

“Through the people of Musina’s reaction during the attacks, we felt that there was a need to celebrate the Ubuntu Imbizo in the area because the Musina community expressed the value of Ubuntu,” he said.

According to Mancotywa, engaging with the broader society on the Imbizo Programme expressed a strong view that requires strategies for cultivating ways of ensuring that the different communities should be organized around Ubuntu in a way that will translate to a change in behavior and attitude of individuals, families and communities.

“This is an attempt to restore lost values and morals in our society. This process recognizes the strides around several initiatives that entrenches Ubuntu that have been made by government in the form of the moral regeneration movement, government imbizos, letsema and Batho Pele programmes. This underlines the government’s commitment of putting people first in the drive to improve service delivery,” he acknowledged.

The communities from different parts of the province attended the event. The event was also attended by, amongst others, the MEC of the Department of Arts and Culture, Mrs Joyce Mashamba, the premier of Limpopo, Mr Sello Moloto, representatives from the NHC, delegates from the Vhembe District Municipality,  the mayor of Musina Municipality, Cllr Caroline Mahasela, and the ambassador of Cuba, Mr Enrique Orta.

Premier Moloto acknowledged that heritage was a priceless gift to which no monetary value can be attached. “In other words, our cultures, values and tradition are much more than what money can buy. They are the glue that binds us together as a nation and, for that reason, we cannot take them for granted,” he said. “Too often, people tend to forget that one of the biggest draw cards of the tourism industry in Limpopo lies in our cultural attractions and the heritage sites we have.”