And I bet my life, it will not perish in the next five years’ as a result of politics or anything else, vouched the Acting Mahikeng Municipality Mayor, albeit she avoided the question of financial spin-offs the City would gain from the fest.
She spoke exclusively to this reporter on the sideline, at the media brief held prior to the beginning of a jamboree known as Mahika-Mahikeng fest in the province of Bokone Bophirima last weekend.
For the very first, I must confess, all the events were sold out from Gospel concert to Comedy. To add cherry on top of a cake- the popular Maftown Heights and Jazz shows wrapped the weekend that it was in grande style…although such major events do experience some shortcomings (such as losing one of my mobile phones, unfortunately).
The four day potpourri- has for starters placed Mahikeng as the Capital City of the Province- as a melting pot of activities if only the head-honchos in the province could take care of it; and also as a gate-way for our neigbouring States Botswana and Namibia would help improve tourism in the
province-once declared ‘it’s like marketing an Island’ as pointed out by one well known popular figure within the tourism sector Charles Vuyisile Ndabeni.
Although no figures were readily available to quantify the return on investments, one thing is certain a million rand that was spent on this project was worth it from craft, children & family activities, traditional dancers, exhibition (although not packed) to jazz, music, et al.
Addressing members of the corps drawn from SA and Botswana, MEC for Tourism and Economic Development Desbo Mohono said the fest attracted more internationals as it grows.
She said the theme ‘Shapa Round’ was devised to show off their products and encourage visitors to go and see were the likes of HHP, Cassper Nyovest, Bonang Matheba, Khuli Chana, Tuks, were born and raised to millions of South Africans what the Mahikeng region has produced.
“Economically, we’ve created both casual and permanent employment for our youth’s in the province as part of the Government’s Rebrand, Reposition and Renew Bokone Bophirimam,” says Mohono.
According to Barba Gaoganediwe, the entire Mahikeng was sold out in terms of accommodation and ‘that’s a sign of great appeal the fest has had on the people, both nearer and afar’.
As for next year anticipate growth, innovation and development says the congenial Clive Mathibe, spokesperson for the festival, who also highlighted for the sake of convenience for revelers they decided to use the Mmabatho precinct were everything was centralised.
