Matendera Arts Festival lives up to billing
THE Matendera Arts Festival held last weekend in Buhera lived up to expectations after scores of people from all walks of life joined the Vahera community in celebrating their rich cultural heritage through song, dance and sport.
The event, which curtained up with soccer and netball games between Wards 19, 21 and 23 at Chiurwi Primary School, was held at Dzapasi National Monuments and Matendera Ruins.
The sporting event seeks to raise awareness of the adjacent liberation war heritage site, Dzapasi, which served as the assembly point for ZANLA forces at the end of the liberation war in 1979.
Friday, which was the main day of activities at Matendera National Monument, commenced with a 21km marathon from Dzapasi to the monument.
The community then showcased its traditional dances.
There was also an exhibition of agricultural produce, traditional fruits and traditional medicinal herbs, with those that enhance potency proving popular among guests.
Matendera Monuments is an ancient dry stone walled structure dated back to the 17th century. It consists of enclosures that have dentelle and herring bone decorations.
lt is built on a low-domed kopje of smooth granite as a royal palace and is attributed to the early Shona speaking communities.
On the other hand, Dzapasi is an important liberation heritage site, not only for the people of Buhera, but the nation as a whole.
On the dawn of political independence in Zimbabwe in 1979, assembly points for freedom fighters were established throughout Zimbabwe, thereby marking the end of the armed struggle and a transition to a new and united Zimbabwe.
The freedom fighters stayed at the assembly points until demobilisation or integration into the Zimbabwe Defence Forces post Independence.
The nucleus of the Dzapasi assembly point was at Chiurwi Primary School which had been closed in July 1976 as the liberation war intensified.
During the liberation war, the Rhodesian forces had built a gravel airstrip to serve Dzapasi, then known as Fox Trot.
With an abandoned airstrip and a good road network, Dzapasi was an ideal location for an assembly point.
The site was subsequently proposed to be a designated liberation war monument to serve as a representative of the assembly points set up throughout the country.
National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe official, Mr Lloyd Makonya said: “The festival has improved the community’s perception about the value of their cultural heritage and instilled a sense of ownership within them as they have taken the initiative to organise the festival.
“Festivals across the world have the potential to improve the preservation and transmission of cultural and historical traditions. This ultimately contributes to the protection of local heritage and to revitalise native cultures, for instance by regenerating cultural arts and crafts,” said Mr Makonya.
Gospel supremo, Blessing Shumba, who hails from Buhera, put up a sterling performance at the event and was appointed ambassador for Matendera Festival.